The Aura Lives On
by Sonic the Saiyan
Summary: When Ash loses a dear friend at the Tree of Beginning, things aren't as they appear to be. On a quest to live a full, new life, the not dead Lucario tries to find Ash, the one who helped him so much, and one who has the potential to fill his place as an Aura Guardian, someday. But, can such an ancient Aura go unnoticed in the modern world, or could it bring unforeseen consequences?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright guys, here's my new story. Inspiration struck me, and I decided to give this a try. If this one does take off, it may be a bit infrequent due to having to juggle it with my two other stories, but I just hope you enjoy it. Please, tell me what you think after the first chapter.**

 **One last thing before we get started. Disclaimer, i do not own any portion or etcetera of the Pokemon Franchise. Or, do I? Maybe I am Satoshi Tajiri? Yes, writing Fanfiction. Of course I'm not!**

* * *

 **-Prologue: Changing History-**

* * *

"You're saying that we can still save the Tree, if we use the power of Aura?"

"Mew… Mew Mew…" Mew nodded weakly.

The entire cavern glowed an evil red, as if flames were licking the walls. The blue crystals that had adorned the Tree of Beginning before now glowed a deep crimson, as they slowly turned to soot and disintegrated. And down in the middle of the room, a group of five stood beneath the destruction right above them. Ash looked up cautiously as another branch began to vanish, Pikachu by his side. Kidd was looking around the room at what was happening. And before a small crystal formation in the floor that was somehow avoiding the current carnage, Lucario faced Mew.

Lucario nodded. "Yes, I shall help you, Mew" he declared.

Shaking her head, Kidd stepped forward. "Hold on, Lucario. If you give up your Aura to save this tree, then you're going to end up suspended, just like Sir Aaron is!"

Lucario looked back, unwavering. "Yes, I realize that" he nodded.

Shocked, Ash's eyes widened. "Lucario…" he said.

Lucario gave Ash a knowing look, before turning back to Mew. He stretched his hand out, and looked Mew in the eyes. "The Aura is with me" he said, before the swirling blue energy began forming in his palm. He closed his eyes and focused his energy, and the Aura Sphere in his palm began growing larger, enveloping Mew in the glowing power. The ball was almost the size of Lucario, but suddenly, his hand retracted, and the sphere burst, disappearing. "I can't do it" he grunted. "I'm not strong enough." Lucario felt a sinking pit in his stomach. He couldn't save the tree, every Pokemon living within it was doomed.

Quick footsteps ran up beside him. Turning, he saw Ash approach him. "Lucario, do you remember what you said about me before?" he asked, leaning down to the crystal formation and picking up a pair of dark gloves.

Lucario was confused, but got what Ash was saying almost immediately. "Ash?" he asked.

Ignoring this, Ash stood back up, slipping the gloves onto his hands. "You told me, that my Aura was just like Sir Aaron's. Well, let's see if that was really true."

On the gloves, the large pale gems began sparkling blue. His eyes closed and he stretched his hands out. Tiny sparks began forming in the air in front of him, soon congealing into a small Aura Sphere.

Kidd looked back and forth between Lucario and Ash. "No, you can't, you'll destroy yourself too!"

Ash gritted his teeth and shook his head. "No, if I don't do this, then the Tree will die, and that means that all the Pokemon that live here will too!"

Lucario realized that Ash really meant to go through with this. "Ash-" he began to say, but he didn't get the chance to try to dissuade him.

"I'm not gonna give up!" Ash shouted defiantly, and his will flew into his Aura, and the sphere grew.

Lucario looked at the young trainer. He was willing to risk his life on an endeavor he had never attempted before, to save scores of Pokemon he had never met or even seen. And if he could do this, so could he.

Pushing his palms forward again, Lucario's Aura Sphere began forming once more. Each of their Aura's grew larger, merging together and forming one large sphere, swirling around Mew. Mew's own aura became visible within the energy, strengthening. The blue light glowed across the room, shadows lengthening from the light, and as the poured more of their life force in, their own bodies began glowing with the same light. Lucario's body was wracked with pain as sparks ran across him. Grunting, he shut his eyes, but kept his power flowing.

Ash was feeling the same effects. Low shouts of pain escaped his mouth as a pain, indescribable, but like a white-hot flame was pumping through his veins, searing beneath his skin, while he was also being zapped by an electric attack, with less force, but a much higher, stinging feeling, than anything Pikachu had ever given him. Pikachu himself was looking on, feeling helpless as he watched his best friend give up his life… Again.

Lucario's body shook again, and he cracked his eyes open. Mew was floating there, absorbing the Aura as fast as he could to repair things, and the sphere grew more opaque. Through the sphere, he saw Ash, in the same position as he was. The young boy was still going as strong as he could, not backing down at all. He wouldn't give up for anything. So, he knew what he had to do.

Keeping his hands up, Lucario swing around, tackling Ash hard, sending him careening across the floor. One glove flew off as he struck the ground, sliding across the glassy floor. "Leave the rest of this to me, Ash!" he told the young trainer.

"No, Lucario!" Ash shouted.

Lucario gave Ash a confident smile. "The Aura, IS WITH ME!" he shouted, and he felt a floodgate open. His strength increased, and he let the full force of his Aura fly forth, into Mew.

The Aura Sphere grew almost invisible, and Mew's Aura expanded, the powerful green glow flowing throughout the entire room, a calming effect coming off of it. Shimmering like a mirage, Mew flew around the room, before dashing into the light streaming out of the core. Once there, a bright pulse of green light flew outwards, streaming across the ground and dashing the red light away. Branches of crystal above them stopped crumbling, and slowly began to grow outwards, restoring themselves. The rumbling in the floor slowly came to a stop, and the Tree came to a standstill. The entire cavern grew quiet, and still, peaceful…

They all looked around in awe, as the power began to flow through the Tree again. There was what could be described as a sparkling noise as a small green bubble shot out of the light and flew around their heads. The green faded, and Mew came back into view, now looking like he was in perfect condition. "Mew Mew!" Mew said happily, doing flips in the air as he spun around them.

All was serene, and perfect, for a brief moment. With a groan, Lucario realized the pain he was in once more. Thick blue sparks travelled up and down his body, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Lucario!" Ash said concernedly, rushing over to the side of the Aura Pokemon.

Fighting through the pain, Lucario glanced up. "Don't worry about me, there's nothing that you can do now, Ash" he said.

"A-Are you sure?" Ash asked.

Lucario nodded grimly, before another wave of pain ran through his body, pushing him lower on the floor. His eyes shut, but at that moment, a powerful gray light began to seep through them. Hearing the gasps of the three around him, he opened his eyes again, wide. The ghostly apparition of Sir Aaron stumbled forward, before he collapsed on the ground, right near him. "Sir Aaron…?" he asked.

The ethereal Sir Aaron grunted as he removed his gloves, and set them down before him, and a small spire of crystal. "Lucario… Forgive me…" he voice reverberated through the air.

"Master, of course I do" Lucario spoke back to the projection.

"How I wish I could have told you, that I had to seal you within the staff, otherwise, I knew, you would have followed my path, and suffered the same end as I have" Sir Aaron spoke. "I only wish, that you could have known the truth, that you could have understood why…"

"But, I do understand" Lucario said.

"I hope, that someday, you will be freed, perhaps, in a more peaceful time" Sir Aaron said. His body coiled as another wave of sparks ran across his body, and he grunted, breathing heavily. "But, I have no other regrets… I served a beautiful queen, and we, we shared many adventures, together… I hold those memories most dear, right to the end."

Lucario felt his emotions rise, and tears came to his eyes. "Master, I, I wish I could tell you, how much hearing that, how much it means to me!" he said.

"...Farewell, Lucario" Sir Aaron said. Lucario stared at the image of his friend, as he slowly faded away. "You, you weren't just my student. You were, you were my closest friend…"

Lucario closed his eyes, the tears streaming freely now. "I feel the same way" he said.

Sir Aaron fell back, the last of his energy fading fast. "Nobody knows what's next, but, maybe, someday, we will be able to see each other again… My friend, I would like nothing more…"

Sir Aaron's eyes closed, and his head rested up against the crystal formation, as his body faded. He became fully opaque, and melded into the structure, and he vanished from sight, forever.

The gray light that had filled the room flew towards a center, being absorbed back into the Time Flower that Lucario had triggered. The glassy bulb swirled, closing up as the light within faded, leaving a dim purple and blue color behind.

Lucario stared at the spot where the image of his master- no, his friend, had been, mouth agape. Suddenly, it all fell on him at once. "Aaron!" he sobbed, facing the pocket of crystal that had became his friend. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I've failed you!"

As he sat there, he suddenly felt a warmth on his paw. Looking up, he saw that Ash had kneeled down next to him, and he had a fierce look in his eyes. "That is not true" he told Lucario. "You've proved yourself, you've proved yourself to be as good of an Aura Guardian as Sir Aaron."

Lucario found himself taking solace at those words. Nodding, he said, "Thank you, Ash."

At that moment, the pain flared up again, and Lucario lost all the support that he had left as he collapsed. He let out a groan, and pressed his back up against the wall. He felt Ash's grip on his paw tighten. Looking up, he saw him carry a look of despair in his eyes. "Lucario, no, you can't leave us yet!"

Lucario gave a genuine smile up at the young man. "It's ok, Ash…" he breathed out. "Aaron… Is… Waiting… For me…"

Ash's hand didn't move, but Lucario couldn't feel his grip anymore. What he could see of his own body became transparent, and his mind was growing fuzzy. The last thing he saw were the faces of Ash and the Pikachu riding on his shoulder, before all of his vision was a white light.

Ash backed up as Lucario dissipated into a small sphere of energy. The crystals seemed to react to the energy that Lucario had become, and he merged into it. The energy grew to cover the entire crystal formation, before the entire structure burst apart, glittering particles flowing into the air. Ash looked up as each particle merged with the bright white light that formed the top of the core, each one sending out a splash of blue energy, like drops in a pond.

Every trace of the Aura Pokemon and the structure that his friend's body had become had vanished. Not a single fragment of either remained, and the only sign that they had ever been there were the gloves that Ash held in his hands.

"He's… gone…" Ash said. He couldn't believe how quickly it had all happened. Only a few minutes ago, Lucario had been standing beside beside him. They had been fighting off the Golem Pokemon that didn't understand the real reason they were there, but they had both been there.

He stood back up, rubbing his eyes before the tears could fall. This was the second time he had lost a friend, and this one had to be just as hard. Last time, Latios had sacrificed himself, to save a town. He hadn't had much of a chance to get to know Latios, but that day they had spent together had been a really great one. But this time, with Lucario, he had helped him rescue Pikachu from Mew. He had argued, they had bonded, they became real friends. And this time, he saw him pass on, right in front of him, a cruel work of fate.

"Pika Pi…" Pikachu said consolingly, patting Ash on his shoulder. He hadn't known Lucario that well, but he had appreciated how he had helped Ash find him. And he could tell just how hard he was taking it, even if he wasn't letting it all on.

Sniffing lightly, Ash looked up at the mouse on his shoulder. "Hey, Pikachu" he smiled, petting him. "It's great to see you for real now, buddy."

"Chaaaaa…" Pikachu squealed in glee.

Turning around, he noted that Mew had left. He was no longer anywhere in the chamber. Now, it was just him and Kidd left there. Looking up, he nodded at Kidd. "Let's go" he said.

She gave a curt nod, turning around as Ash started walking past. The two of them headed for the exit to the chamber. As they approached the exit of the chamber, Ash's knees wobbled unsteadily, and he nearly fell over, before Kidd caught him. "Whoa there, are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah" Ash said, pushing himself back up. "I think that what I just did made my body really tired."

"You almost killed yourself, so I'd think so" Kidd chuckled. "You sure you can stand on your own?"

"Yeah, stuff like this has never stopped me before" Ash said, walking forward again. This time, however, Pikachu decided to jump off of his shoulder, so that he wouldn't be almost thrown off again if Ash's knees buckled.

They entered the cave ahead of them and began hiking up the rough terrain that curled upwards. "You talk like you've had a lot of experiences like this?" Kidd asked.

"A few" Ash admitted. "I seem to have a knack for finding these situations."

"Wow, like what else?" Kidd asked eagerly.

Ash gave her a hesitant look. "I won't say any places, I do have friends there."

"I know, but I'm intrigued" Kidd said.

"Ok, ok" Ash conceded, hoping that telling some of his old stories would help him take his mind off of what had just happened. "Well, the last thing that happened, we were in Hoenn a while back, and me and my friends were at a festival, and met a Jirachi."

"The Wishing Pokemon?" Kidd asked. "It's said to only show up for a week every millennium, that's nearly impossible that you would find one."

"Well, it happened" Ash said. "And things went bad. A scientist tried to use Jirachi's power to create a Groudon, but it didn't work, and it created something else."

Kidd's eyes widened. "I think I heard something about a creature that looked like the legendary Groudon appearing in Hoenn about a year ago. You're telling me you were at the center of that?"

"Yeah, I'm special that way" Ash muttered as he hiked up the final step before the ground evened out. "Hey, I think I see daylight up ahead of us" he said.

Kidd nodded, and the two of them made for the exit as quickly as they could. The two emerged from the cavern, bursting into the fresh air and light. A breeze wafted past, carrying scents of the fresh forest as they looked down on it. Looking around, Ash looked to his left and saw something up the cliffside from them. "Hey…" he said slowly, before breaking out into a grin. "HEY!" he shouted up the cliff as he began running up the path towards his friends, Pikachu and Kidd beside him.

Hearing his shout, Brock, Max, and May all turned towards the sound, and a chorus of cheers came from them as Ash ran up to them. Pikachu squealed in joy as he ran up ahead of Ash using Quick Attack, reaching them at high speed and greeting them all again. "Pikachu Pika!"

Ash went right up to the group, stumbling hard as he reached them, barely caught by May and Brock. "Oh, thanks guys" he said.

"Maybe you should watch where you step" May laughed, pulling Ash into a hug.

"I'm just a little… Tired" Ash settled on saying, returning the hug awkwardly.

Once he was released, Brock came over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Let me guess, you had a hand in whatever just happened here?" he asked.

Ash gave a sad smile back. "A little, but most of it, wasn't me…"

Max ran up to Ash, excited to see him back, but then looked around, and noticed something. "Hey" he realized. "Where's Lucario?"

"Lucario…" Ash began to say, but stopped. His voice was about to break just from that. He turned away from the group and looked out over Rota. He gave himself a moment, he didn't trust himself to speak at first. "Lucario, he left to be with a friend…" was all he could say.

There were a chorus of quiet gasps as everyone realized what that meant. "Oh…" Max said lowly.

"Oh, I wish that we could have helped him" May said sadly.

"Maybe it was better for him, but still, it's hard to believe that Lucario's really gone…" Brock said.

"No… He's not truly gone" Ash said quietly. "He'll always be here…" He looked up at the sky Lucario had disappeared into. "His Aura is with me."

* * *

 **-Palace of Rota - Later-**

* * *

It took the gang the majority of the day to find their way back down the tree, back to the ground. It was nearly nightfall by the time they reached it, so they decided to camp out for the night. Kidd had to do some repairs on the vehicle, it had been damaged when Regirock attacked. As everyone went to sleep for the night, one person stayed up. Ash lied down in his sleeping bag, eyes refusing to shut for the longest time, staring up at the majesty of the tree, and all of the glowing spots across it. But it was as if Ash could still feel the energy coming from that central chamber, where that fateful incident had occurred.

The next morning, all of them were up bright and early. Kidd spent about an hour finishing the repairs over breakfast, and they were on the road before the sun had rose very far in the sky. Everyone was chatting, and passing the time, but Ash just sat by the window. He talked with the others, small talk, Pikachu sitting in his lap as he petted him, but he spent most of his time staring out the window at the rapidly retreating mountain.

It took the better part of two days to reach Cameron Palace once again. When they arrived at the palace, Queen Ilene seemed greatly relieved that they were all okay. Apparently, the destruction of the Tree was a sight easily visible from the palace. As they went back into the main hall to recap what happened on their adventure, they all got a pleasant surprise. The main portrait honoring Sir Aaron in his heroic pose, standing atop a Pidgeot, had been modified, to have Lucario right beside him.

The Queen was saddened to hear of Lucario's death, and she said that she would make sure to change the legend to honor Lucario's role, as well as tell the tale of the new one that had just been created.

The gang stayed at the palace for one last night before they continued on their journey through Kanto. Ash was still on his way forward to compete in the Battle Frontier, and still had his first challenge ahead of him, at the Battle Factory. The four of them boarded a tram to travel the long road back through the mountains, parting ways with Kidd along the way. As the final mountain passed by them, Ash looked back, and got one last glimpse of the Tree of Beginning over the high rise before it vanished from view for good.

Once they reached the foothills, they continued on their quest. Over the next week, they fell back into their normal routine, travelling, training, setting up camp every night, and so on. But something was a little different.

Ash was making an effort, and he was falling back into the mold, but it was taking him a little longer than the others. He was slightly more withdrawn than he had been before, and his friends noticed this. He dismissed them, doing his best to act like his old self, but he still showed small moments of being more antisocial. One night, while they were up on another mountain, Ash left the group near nightfall, leaving to go look on. The Tree was still barely visible, now many miles away, but on the horizon, it could be seen. When May found him, he blew up, shouting all the regret and sadness he had been harboring at her, before storming off, back to the campgrounds.

Ash felt remorse, but the anger pervaded for a while, and he had yet to apologize. Each day, they kept walking on. Soon, Ash approached the first Battle Facility he was to challenge in the Battle Frontier. After a week away from their adventure in Rota, Ash was almost back to normal. Almost, but not quite. He was getting there, yet he still had a bad case of survivor's guilt. He just wished, that Lucario didn't have to give up his own life to save theirs.

He felt as if Lucario died because he wasn't strong enough to take the full burden off of him. He couldn't do enough to save him, because he was weak at a bad moment. He always relied on his Pokemon as his strength, but not himself.

One night, he looked into his bag, and pulled out the only souvenir that he had of their adventure. A pair of blue gloves, with a large white crystal embedded in the center, with yellow highlights running around them. The gloves of Sir Aaron. For some reason, he couldn't bear to part with them after what happened, but now he knew why. Even subconsciously, he knew, that these were the way he could get stronger, not only to protect his friends, but his Pokemon as well.

Ash considered slipping them on, but before he could, he made the move to stuff them back into his pack. Things were still too fresh in his mind, he didn't even want to hear the word 'Aura' for a long time to come.

For now, he lied down in his sleeping bag. His first challenge was only a few days away, and he needed to hone his mind as much as his Pokemon to prepare for what was ahead. He had no idea what to expect, but either way, with his Pokemon, he knew that he could triumph. He could win, even if he was still weak himself, his Pokemon would help him. They would lay their lives down for him, but that was why he had to do what he could do. So that they didn't need to anymore. Ash knew, with his luck, it was only a matter of time before the next calamity struck, with him in the center. He had to be ready.

He would do it to honor a friend, a noble friend, who had given his life selflessly. He would do what he could to help others, without needing his Pokemon, in honor of Lucario.

* * *

 **-?-**

* * *

At first, there was nothing but darkness…

A darkness that was everywhere, that was everything. Mind, body, area, everything. Darkness ruled over reality.

But soon, things began to brighten. It seemed to take an eternity, but slowly, he became aware of things. The hard surface beneath him, the scent and feel of mist in the air, and the feeling of dim sunlight on his fur.

Lucario blinked and opened his eyes, groaning as he sat up. His muscles screamed at him, extremely sore. Pushing himself up, he looked around at his surroundings. He appeared to be on some sort of dirt path, surrounded by grass on either side. The air was foggy, but somehow, it didn't impair his vision. High in the sky, there was a light, like a sun, but it didn't seem the same, somehow.

A light breeze wafted through the area, rustling the grass. Everything appeared in a gray light, the grass, the dirt, everything. Undertones of the original colors remained, giving a very off perception.

Standing up, Lucario got a better view of his surroundings. He was at the top of a high rise, on a hill. Far beneath him, sprawling out across the countryside, were wide fields, and a large lake, and what almost looked like the Cameron Palace.

Looking around at the place in awe, Lucario stopped short as he saw a figure standing at the edge of the hill he was on. "It, is that…" he asked. "Sir Aaron?"

Stepping forward, he began cautiously stepping towards the figure. Once he was right up behind them, he looked up. "Sir Aaron, is that you?" he asked.

The figure shifted, and slowly turned around. Dark clothes, cap, and the black hair. "Lucario?" Sir Aaron asked.

Lucario's face broke out into a smile. "Sir Aaron, it is you!" he said.

Sir Aaron looked shocked, but leaned down and held his arms out. Lucario stepped forward as he hugged his old friend.

When they parted, Sir Aaron looked down at the Aura Pokemon. "Lucario, what are you doing here?"

"Master, I've followed in your footsteps" he said. "There was a crisis at the Tree of Beginning once more, and this time, I helped stop it."

Sir Aaron had a sad look in his eyes. "Lucario, you gave up your Aura, didn't you?"

Lucario nodded. "Yes, but I wasn't able to do it alone. There was another who helped me save the Tree, one of the most selfless humans that I've ever encountered."

"I see…" Sir Aaron said sitting down before Lucario. "Where is this other human?"

"He didn't come with me" Lucario said. "I kept him from having to make the same sacrifice as I, at the last moment."

Sir Aaron sighed. "So even now, there are those with the power of Aura at their fingertips?" he asked.

Lucario looked off. "I'm not too sure, Master" he said. "This one had never used Aura prior to the calamity, but somehow he was able to." Looking up at Sir Aaron, he continued. "This man had a very similar Aura to your own, that was the first thing I noticed about him."

"Really?" Sir Aaron asked.

Lucario nodded. There was a pause between them, before Lucario looked back up. "Sir Aaron, I want you to know, I know about everything."

"Lucario?" Sir Aaron asked.

"I know why you sealed me in the staff, why you said that you were abandoning the Queen, all of it" Lucario said. "And I want you to know, that I _do_ forgive you."

Words seemed to fail Aaron as he heard what Lucario said. "Lucario… I am, so happy to hear that" he said to his friend. "You do not know how much hearing that means to me."

Lucario nodded. "I think I do. You had nothing to apologize for, you were being a hero to the world."

"Yes, I was…" Sir Aaron said. "But, I couldn't be there for you…"

"Hmm?" Lucario asked.

Sir Aaron sighed. "Lucario, how long was it before you were released?" he asked.

Lucario looked a little surprised at the question. "I, do not know, Aaron" he admitted. "The new Queen estimated that it had been somewhere over 1000 years since the battle."

"One thousand, three hundred and twenty nine years to be exact" Sir Aaron said. "I have been counting every year here, since I sacrificed my Aura. You were trapped in the staff for over a millennium. And no matter the reason, nothing can make up for that."

"But, Sir Aaron, it's ok, I understand-" Lucario began to say.

"It's not ok" Sir Aaron said. "I have been wandering these lands for just as long as you have been sealed in that staff, and my sentence gave me a form of freedom, yet it was a terrible fate. To be cursed in such a way is a fate not fit for anyone."

"What are you saying?" Lucario asked.

Sir Aaron sighed. "Lucario, this realm isn't just an afterlife. I'm sure you have noticed how this realm appears to be a reflection of the true world. The truth is, this is the fate that awaits those who expend their Aura completely, to be ghosts of the world they once lived in."

"So, we'll be here forever?" Lucario asked. "But, we can still view the world, so it's not a terrible place."

Sir Aaron shook his head. "No, my friend, we are all alone here" he said. "We can see what the world is like, but we cannot see any for the creatures, nor interact with anything. We are, quite honestly, phantoms in this realm, unable to see or interact with its denizens."

Lucario started a bit at the news, but quickly recovered. "But, it will be better now" he said. "We have been reunited, you are no longer alone in this place."

Sir Aaron gave another sad smile. "Yes, that's true, we are no longer truly alone. However…" he looked off. "Soon, even that will cease to be much of a comfort. I have explored far and wide, the entire world is viewable. There are precious few others in our situations, and none of them are near. For a long time, my travels contented me, but after two hundred years, they grew old, and things began to feel stale. This world is now less my home, and more my prison."

Lucario looked down. "Why, Aaron, surely there must be some way out of this place, then. After all, you were a great hero, you should not be left to suffer such a cruel fate."

Aaron stood back up slowly, and Lucario rose after him. "Yes, there is one way that I can think of" he said thoughtfully.

"Then why haven't you attempted it yet?" Lucario asked.

"Because you weren't here" Sir Aaron said, turning to his friend. "And this method, will not only allow me to move on, but put me at peace with my sins, and allow you what you deserve."

"What I, deserve?" Lucario asked, curious.

Sir Aaron looked down at Lucario. "When I sealed you in the staff, I took your life away from you. To make up for that, I have to give you life again, my friend."

"What?" Lucario asked. "But that's, impossible…"

"Not so" Sir Aaron said. "If you helped save the tree, I'm sure that you must have seen my remnants there."

Lucario nodded, remembering the way he had sensed Sir Aaron's Aura in the crystal structure. Sir Aaron continued. "When I passed to here, I had but a sliver of my Aura remaining. This Aura was not nearly enough to support me, it was barely present in any state. However, you could say that I have _cultivated_ it. That sliver of Aura has regenerated slowly over these past centuries, and by now, it could be barely usable to sustain a life."

"But, Master" Lucario protested. "Why shouldn't you return to life and not me? I'm sure that you would do much more good for the world that I could hope to."

Sir Aaron gave a laugh. "Lucario, you are a true friend" he said. "However, by the time the Aura could possibly keep a life, my spirit had been here for far too long to move it. I can not return, nor should I. It was my time. But for you, you haven't been here for any time. I could give my remaining life force to you, and send you back to the realm of the living, while losing that last piece would finally allow me to move on."

Lucario stared at Sir Aaron with a shocked expression. "But, Master, I just got here, I just found you!" he exclaimed.

Aaron patted Lucario on the soldier. "I'm not your Master anymore, Lucario" he said. "You can stop calling me such. And you may have just gotten here, but that's the idea. If we don't do this now, we may lose this chance forever."

Lucario's mouth opened to say something, but Aaron shook his head. "Believe me this time, Lucario" he said. "This is better for both of us. Now, you get the life that you deserve, and after that, we can be truly reunited in a place far better than this. A true rest awaits us at the end, and this isn't it." Placing his hand on Lucario's shoulder, he looked him in the eye. "Lucario, will you trust me, one last time?"

"..." Lucario failed to respond. His head hung low towards the ground, his eyes shut. He took a deep breath, and reached up to hold Aaron's hand in his own paws. "I trust you, Aaron."

Aaron smiled genuinely, and took a step back. "I'm glad to hear it, my friend" he said. "Now, I want you to live a full life. A _good_ life. Remember, Lucario, you are a Guardian of Aura. It's your duty to protect the world. Do everything you can, but don't give your Aura up like that again, otherwise, you will be doomed to this realm, probably permanently."

Lucario nodded. "I, I understand" he swore.

"Live well, Lucario, and I will see you when it is truly your time" Sir Aaron said, with a hint of sadness. "Until then… My friend…"

Lucario remained strong, barely holding back the tears once more. But this time, he knew, he would see Aaron again, and he greatly looked forward to that day. "Farewell, Aaron" he said.

"Farewell, Lucario" Aaron said back.

Aaron's entire body glowed a blue light, first it was around him, then it glowed from under his skin, then he became the glow. Sir Aaron dissolved in a flurry of blue particles of Aura, the cloud shrinking down, condensing into a single wisp of energy. It floated there for a moment, suspended in the air, before moving forward. Lucario didn't move as it approached, and it floated right before him. There was a brief pause, before it moved the final inch, being absorbed right into the spike on his chest.

Nothing happened, for a moment. Lucario felt no different. But, suddenly, Lucario felt all the soreness that plagued his body vanish, and a blueish white light surrounded his body, completely masking his vision, as if he were in the center of an inferno. There was the rush of movement, so fast that he had trouble staying conscious through it, as Lucario felt weightless.

And as soon as it began, Lucario felt it slowing down. His body and mind grew heavy, the air grew colder, and the glow began to dissipate. The last thing Lucario remembered was striking a hard ground, before he passed out.

* * *

 **-Later-**

* * *

Lucario stirred again, feeling the stone beneath his body. He pushed himself up, feeling tired, but much less so than he did when he arrived in that realm before.

Blinking to clear his vision, he easily recognized his surroundings. Before him, there was a large formation of gems, with a massive beacon of white, multi-hued energy streaming up out of it. The floor he was on was a glassy stone, and blue crystals shot through the air, forming bridges beneath the ceiling.

"I'm back… Here?" Lucario wondered. Back in the core of the Tree of Beginning. It made sense, this was the last place his body was, before he had lost his Aura. He had expected to have returned atop that hill near the palace, but this was a more obvious return location.

Pushing himself to his feet, he looked around. Things seemed the same as they were when he left. Everything was fine in the area, peaceful.

As he looked around, he detected a presence approaching fast. Looking around, he tried to pinpoint it, but it ended up finding him first. "Yay, you're finally up!"

Turning around, just as he suspected, Mew floated in front of him. "It's good to see you once more, Mew" he greeted.

"You know, we all thought you died" Mew said smartly floating closer to Lucario's face. "What was the big deal in making us worry like that?"

Lucario chuckled nervously. "My apologies" he said. "I didn't know I'd be making a return trip myself."

Mew seemed to accept this answer, and flipped back in the air. "Well, it's awesome that you're back" he said. "How'd you do it?"

Lucario shrugged. "I'm not fully certain I understand myself" he said. "Sir Aaron somehow gave me some Aura, enough to send me back to this land."

"Oh wow, you got to see Aaron?" Mew asked. "Is he doing well?"

Lucario nodded. "He is now."

Mew seemed happy to hear that. Floating around some more, he dropped down. "So, what do you plan to do with yourself now?" he asked. "I mean, you could always live here, I wouldn't mind that."

Lucario smiled. "Thank you for the offer, Mew" he said. "But… I'm thinking that I should acquaint myself to this modern world that I'm in now. I'm sure much has changed since the ancient days, far more than what I have witnessed at the palace and here."

Mew nodded. "There is so much. Giant metal birds that can carry hundreds of people, fake Pokemon that are so cuddly, and some of the foods they've made can just make you ready to die happily" Mew said with a slightly dreamy look.

"I'll take your word for it" Lucario laughed.

Chuckling himself, Mew stopped and floated there for a moment. "You know, it's a real shame you didn't wake up sooner" he said.

"Sooner?" Lucario asked. "I was only out for a little while, wasn't I?"

Mew shrugged. "Do you think that ten days is only a little while? If so, yeah."

Lucario's eyes widened. "Ten Days?!" he exclaimed.

Mew nodded. "I think returning from the dead can really take a lot out of you. I wouldn't know, but it seems that way."

Lucario got over the shock, and took a deep breath. "Well, why was it a shame?" he asked.

"That kid that helped you and me, Ash" Mew said. "He seemed really down after you left. I think that he really cared about you, he seemed pretty depressed on his way out."

Lucario's mood dropped as he heard this. "He was depressed?" he asked.

Mew rolled his eyes. "Come on, even I was pretty sad after you left. I mean, you did save my life, after all. And I know he cared a lot about every Pokemon, he didn't like to see them get hurt, much less die."

Lucario looked up at Mew. "You sound like you know him really well" he noted.

Mew nodded. "Yeah, he saved the entire world by keeping me and a clone of myself from fighting once, at his own risk. He nearly died that day."

Lucario was shocked to learn about this, and felt a twinge of guilt, remembering back when he was acting cold and distant, when he compared him to nothing but a normal human, selfish. Mew continued after that. "I watched him a few times after that too. He had to survive being attacked by the three Legendary Pokemon Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres to save the world from collapsing to the elements as they fought. And another time, he kept a villain from going through and corrupting time with a captured Celebi."

Lucario's opinion of himself sunk even lower. "Where is Ash?" he asked. "I need to find him."

"Sorry, Lucario, but he's long gone by now" Mew said. "You came back about a day after you left, and stayed here for another ten. He was almost back to the palace by the time you got here, and he's probably over one hundred miles away by now. Even I couldn't find him easily."

Lucario's mood dropped a bit more, but then he realized something. "But he has a powerful Aura…" he said. "Perhaps I could find him."

"Huh?" Mew asked. "Why is it so important that you find him?"

"A lot of reasons" Lucario said. "I need to let him know that I'm not dead, I don't want him to feel bad on my behalf."

"What else?" Mew asked.

"Hmm…" Lucario hummed, thinking. "Sir Aaron told me, it was my duty to protect the world, as an Aura Guardian. And as he showed me, part of being an Aura Guardian is making sure the title lives on. Ash, he had a powerful Aura. He could be the next one for this world."

"Oh" Mew said, nodding. "Yeah, he has a lot of potential all right. Even I could feel that."

"I'm glad you see it the same" Lucario said. "Say, Mew. I want to ask a favor of you. Could you transport me to the palace? I feel I could save a lot of time by going there."

"Of course, I mean, after all, you did die for me" Mew said, flipping around. "Ok, here we go. Three, two, one!"

Lucario's vision warped for a moment, before he found himself in the shade of the trees just outside of Cameron Palace. The small pink Pokemon still floated beside him, looking around. "This good?" Mew asked.

"Very" Lucario responded. "Thank you, Mew."

"No problem" Mew chirped. Spinning up into the air, he looked down at Lucario. "Remember, you're always welcome at my Tree!" he said, before he was gone too, leaving Lucario all alone.

"I will, thank you" Lucario responded after Mew had left. Turning around, he thought about going within the palace, to let Lady Ilene know that he was alive. But, she wasn't his Queen, it would be best to not bother her.

Turning around, he placed a hand across his chest. "Aura…" he whispered, as he closed his eyes, and his ears rose. Through his eyelids, he saw the outline of the land. Every living creature jumped out at him like fire in the night. His sense expanded, rolling across the terrain as he moved on.

He had searched out with his Aura sense for a long ways, scores of miles and enough living beings to make his head began to feel fuzzy. He was feeling less optimistic by the moment, as he went on without sensing the special Aura. Just as he was about to break it off, there was a powerful signal.

Lucario tried to focus on the signal, but it was too far away. It was as if he could see if out of his peripheral vision, he couldn't clearly see it, but he knew it was there. "There he is" Lucario smiled. Opening his eyes, he sprung forward, leaping over the top of the hill and sliding down the long, steep slope to the bottom. Twisting around bushes and trees, he noted some sort of metal cart floating up the mountain, attached to a long cable.

"The humans really have come far" he realized. Sliding all the way to the bottom, Lucario kept running as the sun hung low in the orange sky. The signal wasn't growing stronger yet, but he had an idea of where he had to go.

Pouring on the strength, Lucario began sprinting as fast as he could. His newly reborn body may not last very long at this speed, but he would go as far as he could before he had to stop for the night. Ash had helped him in many ways, from allowing him to save the Tree, warming his heart up to humans, and his master, and he was a totally selfless person. He didn't want him to suffer because of him.

Putting on the speed, Lucario jumped over a shallow chasm with a river at the bottom and didn't slow down. "I'm coming for you, Ash" Lucario said. "I still have to thank you, after all. We will meet again, nothing can stop me."

* * *

 **And that's it for the first chapter of my new story. Please, tell me what you thought of it. Was it interesting? A new concept? Did I steal from a story I didn't know existed? I'll try to get something else up soon, this was mainly the prologue.**

 **I hope this ends up being something interesting for you to real. New stories are all so scary, and this, the first chapter, is the hardest one. If you don't get number 1 right, who's gonna read to the end? I'll take all the reviews I can get for feedback, but that's all for now.**

 **Until next time, have a good day, and I'll see you then. Peace!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Forgive me for my long intermission. College is killing me, almost literally, and I needed to see if this story was worth it, while still giving attention to my other works. But, son of Arceus himself, dang! 50 followers in a single chapter?! Now, I don't pretend to be the expert of all things Fanfiction, but when that happens, I'd say it's a pretty popular concept for a story!**

 **So, are you guys ready? I can't make any promises, but I sure do hope that I live up to your expectations!**

* * *

 **\- Chapter 2: It's a Whole New Place, with a Brand New Attitude -**

* * *

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Grovyle, use Leaf Blade!"

The two Pokemon sprang at each other, each attack flashing through the air as they connected furiously. Pikachu pushed down, forcing Grovyle's Leaf Blade low before swinging across and knocking Grovyle across the ground.

Ash let out a breath. "Great job, you two" he said. "Pikachu, you're getting better with your tail every day, and Grovyle, your Leaf Blade is at least twice as powerful as it was when you first learned it."

The two Pokemon looked up at Ash with thankful expressions for his praise as Ash rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a ball. "Alright, Grovyle, get some rest" he said, recalling the Pokemon.

The gang of friends had set up camp as the sun began to cross towards the far border of the skyline, and Ash had taken the opportunity to get some training done. Pikachu and Grovyle had been going at it for almost half an hour by the time Ash called things done. Stowing Grovyle's ball back in his pocket, Pikachu ran forward, placing himself near his trainer. "Chaaaa..." Pikachu said, happy with the results of their session, but very worn out.

Ash smiled, and leaned down, letting Pikachu run up his arm and onto his shoulder. "Pikachu, with you and everyone by my side, no matter what kind of challenge awaits us at the Battle Factory, I know we can do this."

Pikachu nodded energetically and nuzzled Ash's cheek, bringing a smile to the face of the trainer. "Come on, buddy, let's head back to camp."

Turning on the spot, Ash looked for the path he had come down, and began walking down it, through the trees. The sky had begun to take a tint of orange as night approached, it would be dark within a few hours. Even so, the summer heat was intense, and Ash was ready to quit training for the night.

Ash let his mind wander as he walked, something he found himself doing more and more lately. Every time something didn't require his attention, his mind roamed free. It must have been part of his grieving process or something, he didn't know. He had accepted Lucario being gone, but it didn't make all the sorrow just leave. He had found his way back into the group and his routine, but at times, he felt like he wasn't truly back. His heart wasn't all in it.

Something right then, however, reigned his brain back in. A sort of dull buzzing sounded above his head, and Ash nearly froze when he saw several Beedrill looking down at him from their nests cautiously. Gulping audibly, he hung his head low and tried to walk as normally as possible. They weren't after him yet, just on guard.

He managed to get out of the hot zone unscathed, which he was grateful for. Beedrill were normally quite ferocious, but perhaps the muggy day was dulling their instincts for now. Beedrill and Ursaring were the two species of Pokemon that always seemed to get him into the most trouble, no matter where he went. Even in Hoenn, where you had to look high and low for a single Weedle, Beedrill swarms still found them from time to time.

"We're special that way..." Ash chuckled.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Pikachu, just thinking out loud" Ash apologized.

Even with the dangers of Beedrill, he still greatly appreciated the Pokemon-filled nature. He couldn't imagine life without them. From the Ledyba flitting from bush to bush, gathering berries, to the scrap of blue Shed Skin which looked almost as if there was a Dratini somewhere, all the way to the Pidgey roosting comfortable above him. Seeing the Pidgey, reminded him of Pidgeot, a friend he had promised to return for someday...

Ash hadn't thought about Pidgeot in a long time. She had been one of his first partners ever besides Pikachu. He made the promise to come back for her long ago, once the flock she was protecting was fine to be on its own. He had forgotten twice now, to check up on her. Disembarking on his journey to Johto involved close proximity to Viridian Forest, and just recently they had passed on through, and the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

Ash hoped that his friends didn't mind doing some backtracking. They were close to the Battle Factory, less than two days away, but after that, they still weren't too far off from Pewter City, with Viridian Forest just beyond it. And at this point, Ash knew that he couldn't afford to lose any more friends. They were precious beyond the value of any Badge, any Symbol, any trophy.

The smell of Brock's cooking wafted through the air, floating through the air and making the stomachs of the two rumble in anticipation. All the motivation they needed, Ash poured on the speed as he sprinted back to the campgrounds.

A few moments later, he jumped back into the clearing where his friends were. "Hey guys, we're back!" he announced.

The three of them looked up in surprise, not expecting him to be done training until much later, but happy nonetheless. "Hey there, Ash!" May called.

Brock looked up from the camp stove he was using. "Done so quickly?" he asked.

Ash shrugged. "I felt like we were done for the day" he said.

Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder, running across the campsite to where are the other Pokemon were relaxing, leaving Ash with the others. "You must be feeling pretty confident" Brock commented. "You ready for your first Battle Frontier challenge?"

Ash nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I know that we can't lose, no matter what's there" he said.

"I wish I could have the same confidence about my contests" May said wistfully. "No matter how much I manage to prepare, it never gets any easier."

"You know, May, that's not actually a bad thing" Brock pointed out.

"Yeah" Ash nodded. "If you're worried, it motivates you to still get better, and then you get even more experience. Trust me, sometimes I wish I was still as concerned about my battles."

May gave a small smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right" she said. "Thanks, Ash."

Ash took a deep breath. "No problem, May" he said. Things had been a little awkward ever since he blew up on her that night, over Lucario and his survivor's guilt, but he was glad that they seemed to be returning to their old dynamic. He still needed to apologize… But for some reason, it didn't feel like the right time to, which just made himself feel even more awkward.

Brock tasted the soup he was making, and nodded. "Hey, looks like dinner's ready" he announced, immediately getting the attention of the two. "Where'd Max run off to?"

"He went over to play with the Pokemon" May said. "I'll be right back, let me go grab him."

Running across the clearing over to the congregation of Pokemon, May went to look for her little brother, and Brock waved Ash over. Joining him in gathering up bowls for their meal, Ash proceeded to help him set up for everyone.

As they were placing down the silverware, Brock glanced over at Ash. "Hey, Ash, now that we've got a second alone…"

Ash looked up, eyebrows raised in confusion. "What is it, Brock?"

Brock stood up a little straighter. "How are you feeling?" he asked. And judging by his tone, Ash knew he wasn't just asking about how much sleep he got.

Ash sighed. "I'm doing fine, Brock" he responded. He directed his gaze away as Brock gave him a knowing look. "Ok, better, at least" he said.

Brock seemed more satisfied with this answer over the last one. "I know that none of us knew Lucario as well as you did, but, if you ever want to talk, Ash, I'll be here for you."

Ash nodded, looking away, exceptionally grateful for the support Brock was offering. "Thanks, Brock" he said.

Brock gave a friendly grin as he went back to setting the table. Seeing that they appeared to be done, Ash did likewise, as May and Max were on their way back by now, the Pokemon in tow.

"Food's ready?" Max asked hopefully as he approached.

Brock nodded. "Give me just a few seconds to feed the Pokemon, and then we'll dish up, alright?"

"Yeah!" Max cheered.

Ash smiled, inclined to agree with Max's energetic outburst. His stomach was rumbling more than the sky around a Zapdos, it was definitely chow time.

It took Ash about a week to get past when Latios passed away. He wondered how long until he was completely back after Lucario. He felt almost bad that he had gotten as far along as he had already, feeling as if it was disrespecting his memory to do so. He never liked death, no more than anyone. That's why he tried so hard to help any and every person Pokemon, so that death wouldn't have to be an experience any of them went through.

But, getting past his guilty conscience, he quickly sat with the others as Brock came through with a pot of soup, ready for their bowls, and by that extent, their stomachs. "Bon appetit" Brock announced.

* * *

 **-Later: Two Day's Travel from Rota-**

* * *

Lucario came slowly to a halt, panting slightly. The sun had just left the sky, and the cobalt abyss had began to form for the night. Travel was done for him that day.

Looking around sharply, he didn't sense any other creatures in the immediate area, and let his guard drop. Since he had left Rota the previous night, he had had two encounters with predatory Ursaring, as well as others, and while he had easily sent them off, knowing of their mistake, it would not be good to be caught by surprise by any threat.

Being out in the wilderness, truly alone, he had learned more about his Pokemon nature. He had trained under the leadership of Sir Aaron for as long as he could remember, and had most of his training in the field of Aura. Some of his encounters, however, had proven to him that he had much more he could use at his disposal. He had found a way to manifest a large, bone-like object with his Aura, as well as a way to extend the spikes affixed to his hands in a form of blade, shining metallic.

He was surprised when these abilities came to the surface, but he figured that he must merely have not tried to use anything besides his Aura Sphere prior, it having been enough. His new abilities had proven quite useful in certain situations.

Walking over to a bush, from which hung some small, bright red berries, attached to green vines, he willed his claw to grow once more, and swiped, cleaving several of the berries off in one.

The berries were one of the few constants that remained in his life. They had been his favorite, back in his days of serving Aaron. They had been called Cheri Berries, if he remembered correctly. The slight heat they held was often useful in sharpening his mind, he found. And he was glad for that, because the new world he found himself a part of often made his head spin.

He knew that times had changed drastically since he left Cameron Palace on his journey to locate Ash's partner, Pikachu. But he hadn't known just to what extent. One of the times he had been attacked a human accompanied by a Pokemon that went be the name of Magneton. He suspected that in that situation, the trainer was attempting to 'catch' him, force him to become subservient to his demands. Naturally, he had dispatched of the Pokemon as quickly as he was able to without dealing permanent damage to it, before fleeing the scene.

Many Pokemon he had encountered on the road told him much, from how times had changed and just far out of touch he was, to news of Ash. A few hours ago, he had been told by a large Pokemon owning the title King Onix had been assisted by Ash several days ago, and he had prevented his capture under a group of villains known as Team Rocket. They pointed him in the direction they believed him to go in.

He was glad to hear of this as well. Considering how long ago he was told that Ash and his company had left the Valley of Rota, he seemed to be making extraordinary time in catching up to them. Of course, he had been running as long as he could the previous night and throughout the day today. Ash still remained on the edge of his radar, but his signal seemed to be slightly stronger, indicating that he was making some headway.

Popping a handful of the Cheri Berries into his mouth, he looked skyward. Even the night sky was different than he remembered. Almost nothing had remained similar outside of Rota, and even that had been quite a change. And on the road, Lucario had stumbled across things he couldn't even begin to understand, human constructs the purpose of which eluded him this far.

Sleep was the one thing he required at that moment. He had slept little the previous night, having only exerted himself for a few hours after a ten day nap. He figured his energy would still be high, but he underestimated the toll of many hours of sprinting combined with multiple fights ensuing on his path.

Legs tensing, Lucario sprung high into the air, coming to a halt once steadily on a tree branch above him. Placing the last Cheri Berry in his mouth, he laid back and looked up at the stars once more.

"I wonder what Ash and his friends are doing now" Lucario thought. He realized, that he had hardly known Ash, and the same was true for the other. He didn't even know why he was travelling in the first place, all he knew was that he was an extremely unselfish human who put the care of other Pokemon above his own.

He knew that he would probably be greatly enjoying Pikachu's company at the moment. The two seemed to share an inseparable bond with one another, truly to an extent at least as strong as the one he and Sir Aaron had shared, perhaps greater.

The others that had been with him, he hadn't paid them much attention either. He had tried to distance himself from all of it, and Ash only got any sort of focus due to his anger at Sir Aaron being transferred to him through their similar Auras. The young brunnete, the older one with the tan skin, and the child. They all were quite interesting as well, now that he thought back. They wore the air of many places and experiences, although not quite as strongly as Ash had. He suspected he had been the most active journeyer, while the others had joined him on his road.

Lucario had never seen much of the land before. His mind had always been set on his training, and missions to protect the kingdom, often within Rota and very briefly beyond the outer borders. The vast world must truly be a temptation to promote such young souls to travel across it. He had encountered many dangers just within two days, and he was much more adept at self defense than they were capable.

Lucario had also begun to understand the relationship between a trainer and their Pokemon. At least in the case of Ash and his friends. A trainer brings a Pokemon along to become part of a family, to work together to survive, while the Pokemon comes for the sense of adventure, the enticement of new power, and to make a _new_ family. The prospect was intriguing to say the least.

His thoughts continued to race through his head, to the point where he didn't even notice his eyes begin to shut, and before he did, the day caught up to him, and he slipped from reality.

* * *

 **-Later In the Night-**

* * *

A loud cracking sound awoke Lucario from his deep slumber, and he immediately went onto high alert, jumping down from the branch he was on and looking around cautiously.

Another cracking sound occurred, and he realized that it was quite a ways away. His ears also detected a faint cry, and some human speech, but he was unable to make out what was being said.

His training kicked in, and he sprung forward, leaping up into the branches and jumping through the treetops, remaining unseen as he made his approach. There was a contained explosion ahead of him, and he put more effort in to move faster.

"Don't let it get away, use a Shadow Ball!"

Lucario made one last jump, and crouched low on a branch that was high overlooking a clearing below. He quickly counted three humans, all dressed in dark clothing, and each had a single Pokemon in front of them. Two large blue bats, as well as a Pokemon he could remember all too well, a Houndoom acting in quite a similar manner to the ones that had blinded him all those years ago, even if it had only been a few days for him.

There was some sort of disturbance in the air, and a large ball of dark energy was fired from the Houndoom towards it. Another plume of smoke filled the air, as a creature suddenly materialized, falling down to the ground tough. A long, red and white winged Pokemon, covered in dark burns, fell down, looking up scared at the Pokemon and humans above it.

The human behind the Houndoom stepped forward, a small object, seemingly bound metal, resting in his palms. "You aren't so tough" he laughed. "Those two clowns may have lost sight of their goals once before, but now we've got you cornered."

Lucario frowned. He could tell by the way that the human was talking that his purpose was not a noble one, in fact quite the opposite. He appeared to be attacking a helpless Pokemon with the purpose of taking it hostage.

The man reached back with his metallic object. "You're comin' with us!" he said, tossing the thing at the grounded Pokemon, who closed her eyes in fear.

A blue sphere of energy sprang through the air at an extremely high speed, catching the item and completely disintegrating it, before striking the ground, detonating and sending up a wall of smoke between the grounded Pokemon and the group of evil humans and Pokemon.

Lucario leapt forth, large club forming in his hands, swinging hard and knocking the Houndoom upwards, feeling a sense of satisfaction as it yelped. The smoke began to clear, at the group appeared shocked as Lucario became visible.

"What?" the lead human asked.

"What in the Distortion is that thing?" the other one asked.

Lucario gave a cold glare. "I demand to know what you villains are doing here!" he said commandingly.

They appeared even more dumbfounded as he spoke to them. The one that hadn't spoken yet reacted first, growling and stepping forward. "I don't care what you demand" he snarled. "Golbat, let's show this thing what happens to anyone who gets in our way. Poison Fang!"

The Golbat swooped down at him, teeth dripping with venom before it tackled Lucario, and sunk his fangs into his arm. Lucario flinched back, but surprisingly, only felt a dull pinch at the point where he had been bit. Taking advantage of his situation, he willed his power through his other hand, and his claw elongated, before slashing at the Golbat, sending it sprawling, immediately unconscious.

He decided that this would not be a good situation for diplomacy. He struck out at the other Golbat, and sent it careening into a tree, falling limp. The Houndoom that he had attacked prior had begun to rise again, but Lucario quickly put an end to its efforts with another Aura Sphere.

The humans appear absolutely terrified now, and as Lucario raised his claws menacingly, they recalled the fallen Pokemon and fled at mach speed. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned around, and kneeled down to view the fallen Pokemon. She appeared to be in an extremely weak condition.

Crossing his arm over his chest, he closed his eyes. "Allow me to help" he said through the Aura, stretching his hand forward and allowing a blue energy to form over the Pokemon.

He realized what he was doing was risky, but the Pokemon wasn't so weak as Mew had been. She did not need a full transfer of life to survive.

His energy was slowly sapped away as he replenished the power of the fallen Pokemon. After a few minutes, he jerked his hand away, shattering the transfer and breathing hard as the Pokemon righted herself and looked at Lucario.

"You… Helped me" she said, surprised.

Lucario nodded. "It is my duty as an Aura Guardian to protect the innocent" he explained. "I was just doing what I believe to be right."

The Pokemon smiled kindly, nodding gratefully at Lucario. "Well, thank you, very much" she said. "I don't know what I would have done without your help. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Latias."

Lucario nodded. "And mine is Lucario. If I may pry, Latias, what was those villains' interest in you?"

Latias looked down. "That was a band of thieves calling themselves Team Rocket" she said. "I had to deal with them once before, they are just really selfish, and don't care who they hurt to get what they want." She looked around. "Apparently, I'm considered a really rare and powerful creature by many, they were trying to take me, but more importantly, they were trying to take something I was protecting."

"Why could they possibly want this object?" Lucario asked.

Latias shifted, and a small satchel laid over her wing became visible. Eyes glowing blue, the bag opened, and a glowing orb lifted out of it, and floated in the air before her.

"This" she said smalley. "This is the spirit of my brother, Latios… It's called the Soul Dew. At one point, those three stormed into my home, far away from here, trying to take it. Me and my friends got them to go, but they kept coming back. Eventually, my friends told me to take it and leave. One of them had to carefully make this bag with a special energy, because the Soul Dew dies if it isn't in the waters of my city for too long." Placing it back in the satchel, she looked back at Lucario. "They told me to run with it, and not let them get their hands on it, but somehow, they found me and attacked me while I was out here."

"..." Lucario closed his eyes. "Some humans are still trash after all" he thought. "Not all, but there are many more than there should be…"

"Where were you fleeing to?" Lucario asked. "I am on a journey of my own, but perhaps I could help you get where you need to go."

Latias shook her head. "It's not about where I need to go, but who I need to find. I'm out here looking for someone who can help me, I just don't know where he is. But, he and his friends, they've done so much to help me before, I just know that I can rely on them to help me this time."

Lucario glanced at Latias oddly, prompting a weird look from her. "Did I say something wrong?"

Lucario thought carefully. "Someone who has helped you before… Someone reliable…" he looked at her again. "This person wouldn't happen to by any chance be known as Ash, now would he?"

Latias was shocked. "Yes, that's him!" she chirped. "You know him?"

Lucario nodded. "I do" he said. "In fact, my quest is one of locating him as well."

Latias' eyes were wide. "Wow, that's one giant coincidence" she said. "How do you know him?"

"He freed me from a prison I had been claimed in for over a millenia, rekindled my faith in humanity, and helped me to save the lives of thousands of Pokemon" Lucario said.

"Wow, and I thought him protecting me from Team Rocket and trying to save my brother was big…" Latias said.

Lucario stood back up. "You know, I do not believe that this was some random chance" he said. "The forces of Aura have a way to making certain events that need to take place happen." Looking down, he extended a hand in offering. "I say we travel together. We are on the way to the same destination, of course."

Latias accepted Lucario's hand, pulling herself into a floating position. "You'd really want me to come?" she asked. "I don't know much about fighting… The only reason I've gotten this far is because I got lucky and what I do know how to do seems to be better because I have the Soul Dew."

Lucario smiled at her concern. "It would be no bother. I come from a time where roaming these lands was a much more perilous task than it is now. I can do the protecting for us, and I have the ability to track Ash."

At this, Latias immediately nodded vigorously. "Then yes, please, I'll come with you!" she said happily, flipping in the air energetically. "I promise, I'll do my best to not slow you down!"

Lucario couldn't help but let out a light chuckle at her reaction. "Fine, just one thing. How soon do you expect those thugs called 'Team Rocket' to return?"

Latias thought for a minute. "Those were their last Pokemon in any sort of fighting shape, they'd have to rest for a while. I think that there's a couple days before they make it back here."

Lucario let out a sigh of relief. "Very well, then" he said. "Then, we rest for the night. I have just had an exhausting day, and require sleep to function tomorrow. Then, once we are moving, I can guide us in the proper direction."

"Alright" Latias said. "I think I need sleep too. Whatever you did really helped me get back up, but I'm still all sorts of sore."

Lucario closed his eyes, but couldn't feel any malicious presence anywhere for a long ways around them anymore. They appeared to be safe, for now. "Then I believe we are in agreement" he said. "It is time for sleep. Enjoy it, because tomorrow, we push forward relentlessly."

* * *

 **-Ash & Co.s Camp-**

* * *

Pikachu rolled over in his sleep, but found nothing in his way, strangely enough. When he rolled flat, he opened his eyes, and noticed Ash was missing.

"Pika?" Pikachu said quietly, looking around, but seeing no sign of his trainer. The flap to the tent was open. Squeezing through the opening, he almost missed Ash as he was sitting at the far edge of the campgrounds, his back turned towards the small electric mouse.

Running across the field silently, Pikachu made sure to not wake any others up as he approached Ash. "Pika Bi?" he asked.

Ash started, turning around. "Oh, hey there buddy" Ash smiled, inviting Pikachu up on his lap.

Once he was situated, Ash took a deep breath. "Sorry if I gave you a scare there, I just needed some time to think, you know?"

"Chaaaa…" Pikachu cooed in understanding, making Ash smile again.

"You know, I told Lucario about you quite a bit" Ash told him. "One night, when we were on a ridge, looking up at the Tree of Beginning, I told everyone the story about us and that flock of Spearow, remember them?"

Pikachu shuddered a little at the memory. Sure, now he could destroy twice that many Fearow with power to spare, but back then, that was probably one of his scariest moments.

"Of course, the night didn't end very well…" Ash said, not going into details about the physical fight he and Lucario got into. They both said some nasty things to each other, but saying Lucario had abandoned the queen, that was way too far over a very thick line. "But the next day, we found you…" it was there Ash stopped. Had that fight he and Lucario had been less than 24 hours before he died? That didn't necessarily make him feel any better about the whole deal.

"I've been wondering a little…" Ash went on. "If Lucario hadn't died, what would he have done? He wasn't from our time, he would have probably stayed in Rota, doing what he used to do by helping the queen that they had now."

"Pika" Pikachu shrugged, not knowing either.

Ash sighed. "I'm sorry, buddy, I shouldn't be rambling on like this" he said. "Come on, let's get back to sleep, alright?"

"Cha Ku Pikachu" Pikachu nodded, agreeing.

Ash picked up Pikachu in his arms, and walked back to the tent where the two of them slept in. Getting settled back in, he closed up the flap and got down into his sleeping bag, cozy comfortable. Patting Pikachu on the head, Ash smiled. "Battle Factory in just a couple days, you excited too?" he asked.

Pikachu nodded contentedly, yawning widely and closing his eyes, ready to get back to sleep. Ash figured he should do the same.

Letting out his own yawn, Ash curled up inside the warm material. Lucario hadn't given his life so that Ash could feel guilty forever, Lucario made the choice so he could fulfill his destiny. Ash was allowed to feel sad about it, but even he knew, he had to move on.

And with that yawn, he felt the last bit of stress he had felt in his chest flit off. "Thank you, Lucario" he thought. "Thank you for the memories, and I hope that you're in a better place now…"

Finally free of his burden that he had been carrying, Ash found himself asleep faster than a Slakoth. Now, he was as free as he had ever been. The moon shined brightly down on the clearing as the dead of night reigned over, peaceful and serene.

* * *

 **I know this chapter is a little short. Like I said, college and crap, you know? I'm typing this right before I have to go meet with an advisor. Ugh, why did I do this program, I still had a year at highschool I could have enjoyed...**

 **Well, this was really meant to be a transitional chapter anyways. I'm hoping that it was good, however. I'm doing some setting up for the future here. I really loved Pokemon Heroes, and Latias just fit perfectly with an idea I have for down the line. But, no hints. Sorry, you'll just have to sit in suspense.**

 **At first, I really only expected this to be a short story, but as time went on, and I saw how many people just loved it, and I continued to mull over ideas, my plans constantly expanded. I don't know how long this is going to end up being now! But I hope that everyone who's been seeing this thing since the beginning will keep being just as interested as time goes on.**

 **Anyways, that's all for now. If you're new here and like it, go ahead and follow so you know just when the next chapter is coming out. I always love getting reviews, so drop one of those on the way out too if you want to. Until next time, cya guys, and happy holidays!**


	3. Chapter 3

The crisp mountain air struck them all as they emerged from the trees, looking over the top of the cliff. A cool breeze blew across the terrain, carrying a chill with it.

Which made sense, judging by what they had seen the past night.

"I still can't believe that we saw Articuno!" Max said. "In the Kanto mainland. I heard rumors of one out near the Seafoam Islands, but this far inland?"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

Ash shook his head. "Nah, Pikachu, that was at Shamouti Island" he said. "Max is talking about somewhere else."

"Kachu" Pikachu said, realizing what he meant.

"What was at Shamouti?" May asked.

"Oh, you know, just a normal day for us" Ash laughed. "World about to end, Legendary Pokemon fighting, the whole nine."

The entire group laughed. Brock may have been absent for that leg of Ash's journey, but he had heard the story, and had been close enough to see some of the effects. May and Max, they had both been along for the ride long enough that they knew not to doubt it.

"Point is, we've seen an Articuno before" Ash said. "That one last night actually looked pretty small, in comparison."

"Maybe it's still young" Max guessed. "Young Articuno tend to do better in cold environments, and here, judging by how fast they're able to move, I'd say it would only take about an hour for that thing to get to Mt. Silver from here."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Max" Brock said. "These Pokemon tend to be very territorial, and there is a rumor that a Moltres lives near there. I wouldn't count on the Articuno living there, because these rumors tend to be real more often than you'd expect."

"Oh, right" Max said.

Ash scanned the forest below, and suddenly broke out into a smile. "Hey, hey guys!" he said excitedly. "See that down there?"

"Hmm?" the three of them asked, looking where Ash was pointing.

"Down there, just about the treetops" he said. "I think that's the Battle Factory!"

"Ah, I think it is" Brock nodded, seeing the bit of building that was within sight. "There's not much else out here, that's gotta be it."

"Let's see here…" Max said, pulling out his Pokenav. "Yeah, this makes sense. Battle Factory is in that direction alright, so if that's not it, then we're getting pretty close."

"Alright, let's go already, then" Ash said, looking left and right down the clifftop to look for a path down the mountain, into the forest below.

"Hold up, Ash" Brock said. "Even if that is the Battle Factory, that's a lot further away than it looks. Besides getting down to ground level, we still have to make our way over there, not to mention if there are any rivers or chasms in the way."

Ash's excitement did abate slightly as he said that, as the knowledge was shoved in his face. "Oh, yeah, huh?" Ash chuckled nervously. It seemed that whenever he got excited, he forgot everything he knew about travelling.

Brock looked down at the valley. "We could probably make it there by the evening if we set out now, but it would probably be far too late to battle by that point" he said. "So, I say we take our time, and we can arrive tomorrow morning without having to rush things."

It was a sensible course of action to take, and Ash, disappointed as he was that his challenge would be postponed another day, saw that as well. "Yeah, I guess" he said. "Man, I wish I had decided to head back to Viridian before this…" he said under his breath.

"Viridian?" May asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

Ash didn't mean for anyone to hear him, but Brock, picking up what he could tell of the conversation, realized what Ash meant. "Oh, were you planning to go check up on her?" Brock asked.

May looked up. "Her?" she asked. "Who?"

"Pidgeot" Ash said. "One of my old partners, Pidgeot."

"You had a Pidgeot?" Max asked. "Why haven't I ever met her?"

"Well…" Ash began. "Max, you said you saw the Indigo League as well as the Silver League, right?"

Max nodded. "I watch every conference, every year" he said. "The Indigo conference, the Silver conference, the Lily of the Valley Conference, the Lumiose conference-"

"Ok" Ash said, making sure to stop Max before he listed every conference from every region. "Well, you might remember that I had a Pidgeotto back in the Indigo conference."

"Oh, right" Max said. "She never appeared in any of your other official battles after, though."

Ash nodded. "That's because, when I left Pallet Town afterwards, we ran into a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto that were being terrorized by the same flock of Spearow, lead by the one that I tried to catch on my first day, now evolved into a Fearow."

May, Max, and Brock all remembered Ash's story about the Spearow attack, the one that bound him and Pikachu together. Pikachu remembered that too, shivering slightly at the memory, although that same flock would no longer be a problem for him to handle.

"Well, long story short, we went to help them try to drive the flock off, and Pidgeotto evolved" Ash said. "Together with Pidgeot, we managed to fight them away, but to make sure that they didn't get terrorized again, Pidgeot stayed with them, to protect them until they were strong enough to protect themselves."

"Ash also promised Pidgeot that he'd come back for her someday" Brock said, remembering the farewell. "But, we haven't been through Viridian Forest much in the past few years, and I guess we didn't think to search for her." He looked at Ash with a slightly puzzled look. "What put Pidgeot on your mind?" he asked.

Ash shrugged. "I was just thinking, it's been a long time, and it's high time that I deliver on my promise" he said. "I really miss Pidgeot too."

Brock smiled at Ash's sentiment. "Well, Ash, we have to head back this way anyways, after your challenge" he said. "From here on north, there isn't much in the way of civilization until the edge of the region, mostly mountains. We can backtrack to Pewter, and I'm sure that it wouldn't take long to find Pidgeot in the forest."

May's eyebrows raised. "It won't take long to find one Pokemon in a forest that takes almost a week to get through if you don't get lost even once?" May asked.

"Pidgeot is bound to recognize Ash, or Pikachu" Brock said. "Ash could always call for her, and Pikachu could use Thunderbolt like a beacon. It's not really too difficult."

Ash nodded, the talk about going back for Pidgeot making him feel pumped. "But before we backtrack all that way, we have to do what we came here to do" Ash pointed out.

"Yeah, so let's get moving" Brock said. "Sun's been up for a while, and I hate to waste daylight. At least right now, we're able to _see_ the Beedrill."

"Yeah, that's true" May laughed. "Ugh, Beedrill and Ursaring, why are they so well known for attacking people?"

"Because it's what territorial Pokemon do" Max said. "Just be glad that Kanto doesn't have many Ursaring, most of them live in Johto. The Beedrill, however… Flipped scenario."

"Yeah, which is why we should get moving while we're talking" Brock said, hiking his backpack up higher onto his shoulders. Glancing at the map, he turned east. "There should be a path down the mountain over this way" he said. "Come on."

"Right" Ash, May, and Max said simultaneously.

"Pi-Ka!" Pikachu said right alongside them.

* * *

 **-Route 4-**

* * *

Quiet footfalls rustled the grass, and a small swooping sound was heard alongside it on the otherwise completely silent trail.

Lucario sprinted at full speed, eyes closed. Even so, he was able to twist around every tree, jump over every stone, and guide them out of the way of other Pokemon.

Behind him, Latias darted through the air, following his lead. Lucario had told her, that through the power of Aura, he was able to sense Ash's location. Her Psychic powers, undeveloped as they were, hadn't been able to do much more than tell her whether he was north or south of her.

Lucario, however, had a much more focused beacon he was following, and ran towards it. His years of training had given him the speed and stamina to travel for hours on end at this pace, although he was rusty from his years in the staff. He could still manage long runs, either way.

He was soon halted, however, when he came to the edge of a rather large chasm. A fissure ran through the ground, much to far to jump across, and the bottom laid a fatal distance away.

"Hmm…" Lucario mused. He turned to Latias. "I am afraid that I must backtrack" he said. "My abilities will not let me cross here, I must find another path."

Latias cocked her head to the side. "You sure that you need to find another way?" she asked.

Lucario nodded. "Yes, it is the only wa-"

Lucario fell silent as he began levitating off of the ground, and flew across the abyss. A trace of fear lingered, but he was rational enough to realize what was happening.

Latias set him down on the other side of the hole with Psychic, before quickly flying over herself. "I'm able to help too, you know" she said. "I'm not a great Psychic, but something about carrying the Soul Dew with me seems to make my techniques better."

Lucario glanced at the small satchel that hung by her side. "Peculiar" he commented, standing up. "Thank you for the assist, shall we press on?"

Latias nodded, and with that, the two of them were off again, running across the landscape. They were making extraordinary time as they travelled, pushing nonstop at speeds that no human could reach alone. However, there were some ways that worried them…

"Can you sense the three from before?" Latias asked as she flew alongside Lucario.

Lucario, eyes firmly shut, nodded. "Yes, however, they are not even back to where you were ambushed the other night" he said. "And I have my heavy doubts that they will be able to track you again. We are too far away from their current position, and we left no visible tracks." True to his word, Lucario took their escape very seriously, and had spent a solid amount of time in the morning jumping between trees and boulders, where his feet would not leave marks on the earth.

Latias felt slightly at ease with hearing that. "That's a relief" she said. "Those Rockets can be a real pain!"

"You speak as if you have had prior encounters with them" Lucario noted as he began to veer to the left, sensing a gathering of Pokemon ahead, that he did not wish to bother. "I encountered one creature under the title "King Onix" earlier yesterday who said that Ash had protected him from Team Rocket as well. What information do you have on the group?"

Latias thought for a moment, before responding. "Well, I think that Ash always had this one band of them on his tail, something personal" she said. "They weren't very threatening, but they were tenacious. But they come from a larger group that's more focused on controlling everything, and some of their people that weren't so silly came after me, my brother, and the Soul Dew in the past."

"I see" Lucario said. "An entire malicious organization, that is disturbing."

Latias nodded. "The two that came after us wanted to use our bodies and the Soul Dew to take over the city" she continued. "They thought that Alto Mare could be a stepping stone, due to how easy it is to protect. But they went in ignorant, and ended up destroying the Soul Dew and killing my brother…"

Lucario paused for a moment, not wanting to pry further around such a delicate topic, but Latias continued of her own accord. "Latios, when he died, formed the new Soul Dew, the one I'm carrying right now. I don't know how they figured out that the new one was made, though, or why they're so into capturing it. All it does for everyone else is keep the city safe and power the defense mechanism." She shook her head. "Those guys are crooks, but I don't think that they'd just want to destroy the city, and I don't think that they'd try the same stunt, anyways. Besides, tracking me an entire region away, that just seems like too much for one town in the waters of Johto."

Lucario didn't completely know all of the specifics of the situation, but based off of what he had heard, it didn't add up for him either. However, there was one thing he was fairly certain of. "Well, worries should no longer be present for us" he said. "Even if they have a way to track us down, we are travelling at a speed that humans can not keep up with. It is a physical limitation, even my friend Aaron was unable to move as fast as I."

Latias tried to be reassured, but Lucario had no knowledge of the modern world, he didn't know that the Rockets could have hovercrafts and planes that allowed them to move faster than most flying Pokemon. However, hopefully, he was right in the aspect that they would have no way to find them with their massive head start on them.

So, she settled with a nod. "Yeah, fair point" she said. "Still, I don't like that they're after the Soul Dew again… It brings up some bad memories…"

"Hopefully, Ash will know something that can help you" Lucario said. "It would appear that he has had experience fighting this style of villain in the past, correct?"

Latias nodded energetically. "Yeah, he's great at it!" she said enthusiastically. "You should have seen him go after the two that were hurting my brother. And I'm sure he's even better now than he was before. I'm sure that he'll be able to help us."

Lucario couldn't help but give a small smile. "You seem very confident in him, for only having met him once."

"He really earned it" she pointed out. "I mean, he just about gave his own life to help stop Latios' torture."

Lucario now thought back. He could now count no less than five times that he had heard of Ash risking his life. His own experience with him in Rota, an adventure between Latias and her brother, and Mew had told him about occasions involving himself, a Celebi, and the Legendary Bird Pokemon, each time sounding like they had pushed him to the brink of his mortality. "He is certainly a unique specimen" he said quietly. "He appears to have a strong moral compass, as well. I am certain that he could make an astounding Guardian."

They approached a tall cliff face. Latias began to ascend quickly, making it over the top, while Lucario ran until we was right beside it, before his legs tensed, and he sprung as high as he could. As his climb slowed, in his hands materialized a large knobbed staff, and he jammed it into the stone surface before rising past it. When he completely lost all momentum, he landed on the bone, and sprung even higher, clearing the top of the face as the bone beneath him vanished into thin air.

Lucario allowed himself a moment to rest. He had had to put a lot of power into those two leaps, and it left him briefly winded. Latias settled down on the ground beside him, lying still. "My wings are _very_ tired" she moaned. "I didn't notice it until we stopped."

Lucario nodded. "We have been travelling at that speed for approximately five hours" he commented. "I myself was beginning to feel some of the fatigue, and I have been used to this form of exertion. I am more surprised that you did not request a break before now, not being use to such travel."

"Fear will do amazing things for your energy" Latias grunted. "I still haven't forgotten last night. If you hadn't show up, well…"

She didn't need to finish, they both new what she was hinting at. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. "Luckily, they shouldn't be able to get anywhere near us, at least not today." She glanced up. "You seem to be in a whole 'nother league, compared to me, though" she noticed. "What exactly do you do to be so powerful on your own?"

"Hm…" Lucario grunted, closing his eyes. "I trained quite frequently" he answered. "It was my duty to the world to be powerful and alert, and it became a part of my being." Opening them, he glanced at the Eon on the ground. "Still, it has been many years since I have put those skills to an actual practice, and they are not all they used to be."

"How many years did that take?" Latias asked.

Lucario shrugged. "Approximately a millennia" he answered.

Latias' eyes widened. "A millennia?!" she exclaimed. "B-But, even our father, he only lived for about 700 years before he passed, and he was a Latios. But you're over 1,000, and still in your prime?"

Lucario shook his head. "It's more complicated than that" he said. He still had yet to explain his past to Latias, so he gave a brief oversight. "I lived in the distant past, as an Aura Guardian. To spare my life, my master, my friend, sealed me within his staff, in which I remained trapped in a suspended state for all of that time. He trapped me so I would not fall too to his fate, sacrificing himself to stop a war that threatened to destroy the kingdom. I have only been released recently, on the anniversary of that day, so I am still getting used to using my body in such a way." He cracked a weak grin. "And, from my experience, I was a bit upset that they were celebrating him. Things had looked quite different in my eyes, until I learned the truth."

Latias' knowledge as a Legendary Pokemon was rather limited, so she didn't know just how plausible this explanation was in the grand scheme of things. However, she would be amiss if she didn't trust Lucario to tell her the truth, especially over something that didn't affect her. It was a rather interesting story, anyways. As far as she knew, Lucario was probably the only Pokemon to have seen the ancient times and still walk around today. Most Legendary Pokemon didn't even live that long, save the ones that were akin to gods, but she hadn't ever met any of them.

"So that's where you learned all about this Aura power? In the past?" Latias asked.

Lucario nodded. "Back then, the modern technology of this world did not exist. To survive, to _fight_ , you had to rely on your own strength. That's when the line of Aura Guardians began, a select group of humans with the ability to call upon the force of life for assistance. And each Aura Guardian had a partner. My line had many who trained under these Aura Guardians, from my ancestors, probably down through my descendants. I do not know whether my line continues to this day, the art of Aura seems to have died out in this world, but I wouldn't be surprised if my bloodline still existed somewhere. It became our duty as a family to serve the world, should disaster strike."

Latias' eyes grew wide. Bianca had occasionally read her tales about medieval times, but now she was hearing a firsthand recounting of these tales. In fact, there was one book in particular that she could remember, a story that seemed vaguely familiar to Lucario's own.

"I heard a legend…" Latias said. "There was a man who served a queen, and gave his life to protect the kingdom she ruled from two armies." She saw too many parallels to count between the tale of Sir Aaron. Lucario had even mentioned an Aaron a little while back. "It was a tale of a knight known as Sir Aaron. Don't tell me, that was who you trained under?"

Lucario nodded. "Sir Aaron was my mentor, my master, and my greatest friend" he spoke. "And considering the entire kingdom throws a festival for him annually, it doesn't sound implausible that he has a fairy tale about him. Of course, it's only a fairy tale to those that haven't lived through it or in Rota…"

"I can't believe that it's actually real, though" Latias said. "It must have been tough, living in those times."

Lucario shrugged. "I was born and raised in those times, so I don't exactly have a scope of 'tough' compared to nowadays."

"Oh yeah, huh" Latias said.

Lucario cracked a small grin, before looking up. His stomach had begun to squirm a little, and he knew he needed strength. A few berries the previous night wouldn't be enough to keep him this active, even once he had gotten some rest.

Luckily, in the tree directly above him, fruit draped from the branches. He considered running up the tree and grabbing them, but he had a better idea. After all, what was that old saying? "Work smarter, not harder"?

A miniature Aura Sphere formed in his palm, approximately the size of a large pebble. Scanning a branch that had a large amount of the fruit dangling from it, he saw what appeared to be the weakest point in the structure. Taking aim, he sent the tiny Aura Sphere directly at the weak point. It pierced clean through, a rather large hole appearing in the branch near the trunk of the tree. In fact, only a sliver of bark on either side was holding the connection. A rather high _snap_ rang through the area, before…

 ***THUMP***

The branch fell to the ground, splitting in two, and several pieces of the fruit rolling off from the heavy impact. Claws glinting dangerously, a swift motion, and the rest of the fruit had been severed from the branch. "Come, we must eat to sustain ourselves. We have a long way to travel yet."

* * *

 **-North Kanto (Approaching the Battle Factory)-**

* * *

"Wow, he's really taking this challenge seriously, huh?" May wondered.

Brock nodded. "The Battle Frontier sounds more intense than any Gym" he noted. "This is how he tends to get before a League, even."

Ash stood across the field from the group. While they had stopped for the night, ever so close to their goal, Ash had taken the opportunity to get some training completed with his Pokemon. Right now, Phanpy and Corphish were charging each other, Phanpy curled up in what appeared to be an extremely powerful Rollout, while Corphish scuttled as fast as his legs would carry him, claw raised, glowing blue with the energy of Crabhammer.

At the last moment, Phanpy veered to the side. Corphish, having already begun to swing his heavy attack, couldn't stop, and ended up striking the ground. Phanpy came out Corphish from the side, slamming into the crustacean Pokemon and sending him sprawling. Phanpy uncurled, looking very pleased with himself. Corphish struggled, and managed to stand up again, albeit on wobbly legs. "Phish Phish…" Corphish grunted, shaking his claws at Phanpy.

"Alright, that's enough you two" Ash said, catching the attention of the two Pokemon. "Corphish, you're getting really good with Crabhammer. You just need to work on controlling it a little better. Opponents as small as Phanpy are going to move too fast to hit, otherwise."

"Phish…" Corphish looked down.

"Hey, don't worry about it too much, Corphish" Ash said. "Like I said, you're doing a lot better already." He turned to the little blue elephant. "And Phanpy, you're doing great too. You have a lot of speed, power, and control in your Rollout already. I'd say it's time to start practicing on improving your other moves." Ash gave a small smile. "Let's get back to work on Hidden Power."

"Phan?" Phanpy perked up. Hidden Power was Phanpy's only ranged move, so he had had trouble using it very well. He was used to having to throw his body at an opponent to deal any sort of damage to them.

"We'll practice it some now, no need to rush it" Ash said in a soothing tone, easing Phanpy's nerves. "I know that it's hard, but we'll reach it together, right?"

Phanpy's nervousness over moving onto Hidden Power was replaced with a determination. "Phan Phan!" Phanpy nodded.

Ash chuckled. "Alright. But, I think we've done enough for tonight. Come on, you two, let's get some rest."

After a tough training session, the two of them were more than glad to take it easy for the night. The sun had begun to set a while back, meaning the sky was now tainted a dark orange. Brock, hearing that they had finished for the night, ran back to the table to grab two bowls of food for the hard working Pokemon. He made his way back to the edge of the campgrounds just as they stepped back inside. Settling the bowls down, the hungry Pokemon dove forward, happily attacking the food before them, devouring it quickly.

Brock chuckled. "Working them hard out there, Ash?" he asked rhetorically. The way the two acted, you would have thought that they had just trudged through a desert for a week without food or water.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, but we needed to cut it early so that they could rest" he said. "After all, the battle's tomorrow."

Brock nodded. "You haven't been this pumped since you were signing up for the Ever Grande Conference" he noted. He chuckled. "How are _you_ going to rest when you're this excited?"

Ash cracked a smile as he grabbed a bottle of water. "Nah, I'll calm down by later tonight, trust me" he said before downing the contents in one breath.

Catching his breath after taking his drink, he stretched a little. "Hey, I'm going to go for a quick run before I turn in myself for the night, ok?" he let Brock and May know.

May raised her eyebrows. "A run?" she asked. "That's not normally a thing you do."

Ash shrugged. "I need to burn off this energy somehow, right?" he chuckled.

Brock nodded. "Yeah, I guess so" he said. "Whatever you need to do, just get back here before it gets too late, we don't need to send a search party out to find you. This place is all untamed wilderness."

"Yeah, which makes it an odd place for the Battle Factory" May noted.

"That just adds to the challenge" Ash responded. "You don't just get tested in battle, you have to be strong enough to make it all the way out here, after all."

"You know, none of the Gyms we've ever seen were like that" May said.

"Well, to be fair, these Battle Facilities are supposed to be a lot more specialized than Gyms" Brock said.

"And besides, I know of at least one Gym that was this hard to get to" Ash said, turning to Brock. "Remember Koga's Gym?"

Brock smiled, indeed remembering that little adventure. "I swear, that place gave me a Voltorb-phobia" he shuddered.

The two shared a laugh over the old memory, before Ash walked over to his tent. "I'll be off in just a second here" he said, disappearing into the canvas for a moment. He came back out, seemingly no different. "See ya' guys in a bit" he waved, before he started jogging off into the woods.

May looked off where he had disappeared. "You know, even in the past, when he's been to excited to sleep, I've never just seen him go for a run into the woods before. What's up with that?"

Brock gave an understanding look towards May. "Well, May, maybe he also wanted a bit of alone time too" he pointed out. Seeing the confused look on the young brunette's face, he continued. "He's doing great, but losing a friend like that isn't something you get over overnight."

Finally understanding what Brock was getting at, her eyes darkened slightly. "Oh, that's right, huh?" she asked. "I know losing Lucario was tough, I just hope Ash gets completely better soon."

Brock sighed. "Well, good luck with that, May. Let me tell you, this Ash isn't the same Ash I met in Pewter City. Similar, but not quite."

"What are you saying now, Brock, that he'll never get over it?" she asked.

"I'm not saying never" Brock said. "I'm saying it might have shocked him enough to make him change a bit. A few weeks after we lost Latios, Ash was still acting slightly more distant. I think that seeing all these Pokemon die might be beginning to get to him, causing him to grow up a bit faster."

"It's really not fair…" May murmured. "Ash helps save all these places and people and Pokemon, and is forced to give up part of his childhood as payment."

Brock raised an eyebrow at May. "Yeah, but Ash is the one making these choices, after all. As much as it hurts him when someone doesn't make it, it would hurt him even more if something happened when he didn't try at all. He'll always give things his all."

"He just needs to not beat himself up so much" May sighed. "He doesn't deserve this."

"I agree with you, May" Brock said. "But there's not much that we can really do about it. It's just, well, Ash."

"Yeah, I guess…" May said dejectedly. She sighed again. "Maybe we can see if we can talk him into at least a little sense, though."

"Really?" Brock asked. "Sense? Ash?"

The two looked at each other for a moment, before cracking up.

* * *

Ash found himself running through the thick shrubbery of the surrounding area. While he understood exactly why it was in such a remote location, he couldn't help but question why it was placed in such a wild place. The Pokemon were plentiful out here, as was the foliage.

Narrowly avoiding a faceplant, courtesy of a rather large tree root, Ash suddenly found himself clearing out of the trees, and jumping into a small clearing. It couldn't have been more than ten feet across, and in any direction, the forest was just as thick, but he nodded. "This will work" he said to himself.

He had more reasons to go for a run than to simply burn off energy. Sure, what he would be doing would leave him tired, but that wasn't the point.

With a sort of grim expression on his face, he reached into his pockets, feeling the soft fabric in his hands. Grabbing it, and pulling it out, Sir Aaron's gloves flourished into view. The rather light material, with the heavy gem set in the center of each. Taking a deep breath, which caught in his throat, he pulled each glove onto his hands.

There was a strange hum of energy that took place as each one fit snugly on his hands. Each of the dim white gems began to exude an extremely faint blue light, swirling lightly within as it reacted to his own life force. The swirling blue made his stomach tingle uncomfortably, as he remembered that moment, Lucario's final moment…

He had made up his mind already about beginning to train himself to use his Aura, but actually doing it was completely different. He was sick of being a helpless human who got lucky enough to catch the attention of Legendary Pokemon. Attention wasn't enough, being helpless got innocents killed. And if it took every ounce of strength and willpower he had, he would learn to be strong on his own.

He winced as he realized what that would entail. That burning feeling, the electrocution worse than anything Pikachu could do to him, what happened when you tried to use your Aura without practice, or use it too much. And for the first, well, he had no idea how long, that would be what he'd have to go through until he learned, on his own.

He wished he had a master like Lucario had had, someone who already knew all the tricks, the techniques. But as far as he knew, the only other living being who could have taught him was, well…

Ash shook his head. "May and Brock are going to be suspicious if I don't come back tired" he laughed, and sighed. "Let's get this over with…"

* * *

 **-Northern Kanto-**

* * *

As the sun had begun to set, Lucario and Latias began to slow down. There was still light to travel by, but not much, and it was time to wrap things up for the day anyways.

The day had been fairly uneventful, which the duo was grateful for. They did not need any more hindrances on their quest to find Ash.

Lucario closed his eyes. For a while earlier, it had gotten easier to follow Ash's trail. It was odd. For maybe thirty minutes, he shone more like a beacon, and for another thirty following that, he was worried that he had lost the trail for good, until he sensed him once again. He had no idea what was causing his Aura signal to fluctuate in such a way, but he hoped that nothing bad had happened.

Beside him, Latias groaned. "My wings are hurting…" she said. "I've never flown so far, so fast before."

Lucario glanced sideways at the Eon. "I am sorry, but we still have a little ways more to travel before we can safely stop for the night" he said.

Latias nodded. "I know, I just think I'll have to set down and walk for a while, now."

Lucario raised an eyebrow. "Walk?" he asked. "Pardon my ignorance, but you don't appear to have any legs."

Smiling lightly, Latias was suddenly enveloped in a soft whitish-blue light. Lucario stared in awe as her wings shrunk into her body, her neck shortened, she righted herself in the air and touched down to the ground.

When the light cleared, Latias was gone, and in her place, a young woman, wearing a green and white skirt, and was spiky brown hair. The satchel was slung over her shoulder. Lucario's mind immediately told him to go on the defensive, but he stopped when he heard Latias' voice in his mind.

" _See, I can walk just fine"_ she said telepathically.

Lucario's brief moment of tension left him, and he looked at the Latias-turned-human skeptically. "I have never heard of such a transformation" he said. "How did this come to be?"

Latias shrugged. " _It's just a skill me and my brother had. We don't know how it happened, but we've always been able to warp the light around us to change things. We can become invisible, or transform into other shapes."_

"That is, quite a handy skill to have" Lucario said, impressed. "Although I am curious, how come you are using telepathy now, when you hadn't before."

" _Sadly, when I transform, I don't seem to be able to get a working voice"_ Latias said. " _I can't speak human or Pokemon when I'm not in my real form. I used to be completely mute when I transformed, but I picked up how to use telepathy a while back, with some help from my friend Bianca."_ She held her arms out to the side. " _Actually, this is how Bianca looks. I've always felt comfortable, mirroring her body more than anything else."_

Lucario nodded, satisfied with the explanation. "Very well, if you can walk, then I believe we can continue our journey now" he said, taking a few steps forward, before stopping.

Latias who was just starting to walk as he did, stopped as well, confused. " _I thought we had to get going?"_ she asked.

"Hmm…" Lucario growled, eyes closed, ears up. "Something is off" he thought. "But what could it be? I don't sense any bad Aura..."

"Hm?" Lucario's eyes shot open. "No, it's not that I don't sense any bad Aura, there is no Aura, no living creatures, anywhere around us!"

Looking around, he remembered that mere moments ago, there had been quite a few life signals in the area. They had seen Rattata and Pidgey along their path. But now, for a large radius around them, hundreds of feet, there was not a single trace of life.

"But if there are no Auras present, then that should mean that there is nothing present to worry us" Lucario reasoned. "So why can't I shake this feeling…"

" _Lucario, what's wrong?"_ Latias asked, an edge of worry in her voice. She could tell that something had the Aura Pokemon concerned by the way he had froze and hadn't made a sound besides his initial growl.

Lucario looked back at her. "I, I don't think anything is" he said uncertainly. "I had grown worried that there was no Pokemon anywhere near us, but considering there are no other Auras, I believe us to be safe at the moment."

Now it was Latias' turn to frown. " _Lucario…"_ she began. " _Sometimes, Team Rocket doesn't need to be here in person to cause trouble"_ the fear took ahold of her voice. " _If all the Pokemon have fled, that could mean…"_

She stopped, dead silent, as a tremor ran through the ground, and a loud, metallic, thumping sound. Quickly, both the tremor and the noise grew much louder, much, _closer._

Lucario took an offensive stance. "I still don't sense anything" he protested. "What is happening."

" _It's a mech-"_ Latias began to say, but the thought message died very fast as a nearby tree toppled, and the massive machine made its way into view.

The mech stood almost as tall as the surrounding trees, which meant it was almost four times taller than Lucario. Made of dark grey metal, a large red 'R' emblemized on its front. Its main body was vaguely egg shaped, the thin end being pointed forward and slightly down, almost as if aiming at them. Thick, powerful looking arms with hands that could grasp the thicker trees of the area with room to spare. Sturdy legs that cracked the ground they stood on.

And spotlights shining right at them. A robotic voice rang out at them. "HAND OVER THE ARTIFACT OF DRAGON, OR I WILL BE FORCED TO REMOVE IT FROM YOUR PERSON MYSELF!"

Lucario's extra-sensitive ears ached at the booming, sharp voice, but he didn't waver from his spot. "What is _that thing?!_ " he shouted.

" _This is a modern world"_ Latias said grimly. " _I'll put it in easy to understand terms. People have taken metal, molded it into warriors, and then power it, so they can control it without needing to be there. It's a suit of armor that's been programmed to act a certain way."_

Lucario's eyes widened. "This world… Is both fascinating, and terrifying" he admitted. He still couldn't believe what he was seeing, and he would say it. This "mech" as Latias had called it, it had him completely terrified. "What is an Artifact of Dragon?" he asked.

" _I don't know"_ Latias said, just as confused as Lucario.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!" the mech boomed. "RELEASE THE ARTIFACT OR I WILL BE REQUIRED TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO REMOVE IT FROM YOUR POSSESSION!"

Lucario growled, eyes narrowed. " _You_ are not the only one capable of force!" he said in a challenging tone. The spikes on his hands elongated, glinting cruelty in the late afternoon light. "As my old friend Aaron once said, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

The machine didn't understand what Lucario was saying, but interpreted the use of Metal Claw perfect. "ENTERING COMBAT MODE!" it declared, stance changing from intimidating, to one that seemed to be ready to pounce. "TARGETS: LUCARIO, STEEL/FIGHTING! LATIAS, DRAGON/PSYCHIC! CHANCE OF SELF VICTORY, 95%! CHANCE OF LOSS, MINIMAL. ARTIFACT OF DRAGON LOCATED ON THE LATIAS! TAKE OUT LUCARIO SO THAT LEGENDARY CAN BE FOCUSED ON COMPLETELY!"

The mech pounced forward, scorching the ground beneath it as it flew at Lucario. A normal Pokemon might have been in trouble.

However, he was not a normal Pokemon. He had skills of a knight, and an Aura Guardian. He had a feeling that the mech was unaware of this fact, and had gravely underestimated his opponent.

As a heavy metal fist threatened to crush him, Lucario sidestepped, avoiding the attack, before swinging his claw upwards, and cutting a gash in the shoulder joint. The fist buried itself in the ground, which gave Lucario the moment he needed to gather an Aura Sphere, and throw it directly into the weakened spot.

The joint was shattered, and the arm disconnected from the rest of the mech completely. "HEAVY DAMAGE SUSTAINED! CHANCES OF VICTORY BEING RE-EVALUATED!"

Lucario didn't feel like giving it a chance to finish its calculations. Feeling confident, now knowing just how flimsy this large mech was compared to him, he sprung up, claws shining brilliantly, before making an X-slash across the mech's torso, leaving a deep cut. The robot stumbled backwards from the impact, sparking critically. And before it could think to make a move with its remaining arm, Lucario formed a Bone Rush, leapt forward, and stabbed right through the center of the X.

The glowing rod burst through the other side, scraps of metal flying out with it. The headlights on the robot quickly faded, which Lucario was able to interpret as the "death" of the mech, it no longer had the power to sustain itself. As it fell over backwards, Lucario jumped back, bone still embedded in the machine, before launching a very large Aura Sphere straight where the bone was, destroying most of the robot, and cleaving what was left in two.

Lucario landed again, admiring his handiwork. "So that was a killing machine created by those villains?" he asked. "Not much of a challenge, I must admit."

Latias' eyes grew wide. " _I've never done half that well against one of those things, I usually need to trick them under something to I can crush them. But, you just tore it apart!"_

Lucario nodded. "I have fought much tougher opponents in my time" he said. "I must admit, it appeared intimidating at first, however, it was not as physically strong as it would make you believe."

He caught his breath for a moment, the exertion on top of the long day meaning his victory hadn't been as effortless as it appeared. Glancing over, he continued. "It said that _you_ had this Artifact of Dragon that it was after. But you said you have no idea what it is."

" _And I don't"_ Latias said. " _Honestly, besides myself, all I have is the-"_ she stopped, eyes growing wide, as she looked down at her side, seeing the leather satchel. " _The… Soul Dew…"_

"You said the Soul Dew was the soul of your brother" Lucario noted. "Perhaps that was what it meant by "'Artifact of Dragon.' The soul of a Dragon"

" _But that doesn't make any sense"_ Latias protested. " _The only powers the Soul Dew has are giving the water to Alto Mare, and powering the DMA. Why refer to it as an 'Artifact of Dragon' if all it is, is the Soul Dew?"_

"Sadly, your knowledge is probably greater than mine" Lucario huffed. He sat back. "After that exertion, I believe that we _will_ stop for the night, here. I am much too tired to continue now."

Looking at him worriedly, Latias began to glow again, before resuming her true form, and laying on the ground. "But you took out that big thing like it was nothing" she said in her Pokemon voice.

"True, however, I was already tired from our day, and having to move so fast, hit so hard, it drained my remaining strength" Lucario explained. "Come, the sooner we rest, the sooner we will be able to awaken tomorrow and find Ash. I sense he is drawing rather near."

"Really?" Latias asked, tired but excited. "Maybe he'll know what's going on?"

"That is always a possibility" Lucario conceded. "Rest now, Latias, so we can find out soon."

"Alright" Latias said, closing her eyes.

Lucario soon followed suit, but before he could sleep, he heard the question in his mind. " _But do you think that Ash will be able to help me get Team Rocket off of my trail? They are_ really _persistent."_

" _If there was one thing I learned, it's to never underestimate that kid"_ Lucario said back. " _He, he is a lot more than meets the eyes."_

And he hoped, that he could bring all that he was, out to the surface. Soon, when he found him, Ash would be capable of almost anything, if he was willing to try. And he knew that he would.

* * *

 **Chapter end.**

 **I know it's been a while, but I warned you all at the beginning, this is a backburner project. Although, I didn't expect it to take almost two months. Sorry about that.**

 **This was mainly a filler/set-up chapter. Very soon, Ash will have his first battle, at the Battle Factory, and Lucario said that Ash isn't too far away either.**

 **So, what will happen? How will Ash's battle go, when and how will Lucario find Ash, and what the heck is going on with Team Rocket calling the Soul Dew the Artifact of Dragon?**

 **Sorry, evil as that was, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please, drop a review on the way out, if you're willing, and until next time, cya!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I know it's been a while. Sorry. Between my two other massive WIPs, my headache-inducing college stress, and the fact that I started another new story that I have been giving a little extra love in particular, I haven't had occasion to work on it for a while. However, I'm back now, so why don't we cut the chat short and get down to it?**

* * *

 **-Chapter 4 - Numero Uno Articuno**

* * *

 **-Northern Kanto-**

* * *

"Are you _sure_ you're ok?" May's voice asked yet again.

Ash sighed. "Yes, May, I'm fine" he grunted.

Truth be told, he was fine. He was just not a happy camper. His entire body ached dully, breathe was slightly more difficult to draw, and every step was an effort. He had told the others that he had taken a nasty fall while he was out on his run. Not the truth.

Rather, he had worked every fiber of his being for thirty minutes straight. Normally, half an hour would be absolutely nothing, considering the endurance that the entire group had acquired from years of travelling on the road. But his inexperienced Aura training was quite a fair ways from normal physical activity. It exhausted him to the point where he could barely walk to make his way back to camp, but to top that off, by the end of it, he could only barely make that same bubble he made for Mew any easier than he had before.

He had safely stowed the gloves back in the bottom of his backpack where no one would find them before turning in for the night. Of course, the night never lasted long enough. When he woke up, he was more sore than he had been in ages. The shock he got from Pikachu actually _helped_ him for once, unlocking his body just long enough to get moving.

Of course, keeping moving was the toughest part. His body was constantly telling him 'no.' He had to just as constantly tell his body 'just watch me.'

Trying to ignore the prying eyes of May, who seemed none too satisfied with his answer, he turned to Brock. "How far do you think?" he asked.

Brock looked at the map before shrugging. "Dunno, but I would guess soon. We made camp within five miles of the place by my estimate. So we're bound to be close by now."

Ash grinned. "Awesome, that means it's only a little bit now until I earn my first symbol" he said. Pumping his fist in the air, he winced slightly and rubbed his shoulder. Ignoring the soreness he had just felt, he tried to shake it off and keep walking.

As they walked through the heavily wooded area, May let out a little groan. "Is it just me, or is it getting a bit colder?"

Max frowned. "Now that you mention it, yeah. It was warmer earlier, and the trees are thinning now. You think that there's a storm coming in?"

"No, sky's clear" Brock pointed out.

Ash didn't feel any colder himself, but before he could say anything on the matter, a flash of blue made itself clear through the trees. Turning his head towards it, he grinned and started moving faster. "Hey guys. We're here!"

Sure enough, another few steps, and the trees vanished, no longer obstructing their view. A wide field was revealed, a clearing in the center of the wilderness. Standing tall in the center of the clearing was a large blue and white building that quite looked the part of a factory. A large dome made up the main body, with several offshoots leading across the field, making the structure take up a rather large amount of space.

Max looked down at his Pokenav. "Yup, this matches the descriptions given of the Battle Factory all right. What an odd place to have a battle, though."

"It looks awesome" Ash said with a smile. "I can just tell that there's a good battle waiting for me in there." Marching ahead of the group, he made his way up to the doors, the soreness in his body forgotten by his excitement.

As he approached, the glass doors slid open automatically. He stopped short as someone started towards him from inside. The others walking up beside him, a man made his way out of the Battle Factory.

The man was built rather well. He wore a white coat over a dark shirt, pants the same color as his shirt. On his head he had a red hat, and he wore brown gloves on his hand as well. He appeared to be a bit of an older man, his face rough and whiskered, but his eyes seemed to hold a youthful light within.

"Can I help you kids?" the man asked.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I came out here to challenge the Battle Factory" he said confidently.

The man cracked a smile. "Well it's about time I get a challenger out here. Things were starting to get boring."

"I take it that means you're the Frontier Brain here?" Ash asked.

"Sure am" he nodded. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Noland, the Factory Head. It's my pleasure to welcome you, my first challenger, to the Battle Factory."

* * *

Lucario stood at the very tip of the large tree within the forest, surveying his surroundings. Eyes closed, his flaps raised high as a simmering blue energy radiated around him. Every living thing for many miles around was visible to the Pokemon through his Aura Sight.

Eyes snapping open, he swiftly and silently leapt from the top of the tree, stepping lightly off of the branches as he made his way towards the ground below. The leaves rustled quietly as he emerged from the last branch and hit the ground. "It would appear that he has not moved far today" Lucario said to Latias. "They've travelled a small ways since their stop last night, but are not moving far now. We should move while they aren't travelling away from us."

Latias laid on the ground as Lucario delivered his report. A look of happiness crossed her face as she heard the news. "How far away is he?" she asked.

"We still have some travel ahead of us, however, if we keep a similar pace to our previous day, then we should arrive within a few hours" Lucario said.

Latias was immediately in the air, floating above the ground. "Well what are we waiting for?!" she exclaimed, voice full of energy.

Lucario smirked. "Nothing in particular, I suppose. Let us be off."

Energy surging through his legs, Lucario sprung forward, running through the wooded area, Latias soaring right behind him. For someone who claimed to have minimal travel experience, her flight stamina was quite good to be able to keep up with the pace they pushed at.

" _Still, she must have had to have improved drastically to survive"_ Lucario thought, remembering the previous night. These villains, Team Rocket, as they were known, had been hunting the dragoness for a long time, and they appeared to have a high ranking in the modern world. The 'mech' as it had been called, while it had been easily dispatched of, had been unlike anything he had ever faced in the past.

He was still quite confused about the incident. The machine had gone on about an 'Artifact of Dragon' that Latias possessed, the only object on her person being her departed brother's soul, crystallized. " _An Artifact of Dragon…"_ Lucario mused. " _Ash has travelled the lands, perhaps he will know something that could be made of this, or maybe have a way to figure it out."_

A large mountain rose before them, and Lucario braced himself to begin climbing up the slopes. He felt the Aura he had been tracking for the past few days lied a ways beyond the large earth formation. "He is beyond the mountain. We need to climb" he stated simply.

Latias nodded in acknowledgement, and began to levitate much higher into the air, opting to clear the mountain with her flight. Lucario hit the base of the slope and began leaping from the rugged cliff face, rather than the winding path around the side. He may not move at the same vertical pace as Latias, but he made good time scaling the rocky wall.

"We will arrive at his location soon."

* * *

"I want to have a battle with Articuno" Ash said.

Over their tour of the Battle Factory, they learned that they hadn't just been seeing things the night before when they saw Articuno. Turns out, it lived in the area, and what more, was friendly with Noland.

And it wasn't every day you get to challenge a Legendary Pokemon.

"You sure about that?" Noland chuckled. "I'm one for a good challenge and all, but our battle would be one on one against Articuno. Those are some pretty steep odds."

"I'm sure" Ash said confidently. "Just give me a little time. I'm going to call a friend first."

May and Max looked confused, while Brock just smiled. "You thinking of calling who I'm thinking you are?" he asked.

"It's been a while, I'm sure he'd be up to it" Ash replied.

"Uh, are you guys going to keep talking in code, or are you going to let us in on it?" Max protested.

Ash grinned. "You guys will see in a bit." He turned back to the Factory Head. "Hey Noland, is there a video phone somewhere around here?"

"Sure is. Just take the first left down the hall there" Noland said, gesturing in the direction.

Ash nodded. "Thanks, I'll be right back."

* * *

- **2 Hours Later-**

* * *

"Geez, Ash, how long are you going to keep us in the dark for?" May asked.

"Not much longer, he should be here any moment" Ash responded.

Max rubbed his temples. "Why are you being so cryptic?" he asked.

"You should always keep a secret weapon secret" Ash smirked.

"A secret weapon?" May asked.

Brock laughed. "Ash, if there's anything that your weapon isn't, it's secret. He likes to cause a commotion."

Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yeah, fair point" he conceded.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a dull sound covered the group. A distant roar, ringing across the valley. May jumped and looked around. "What was _that?_ " she exclaimed.

Max looked back and forth, eventually turning west. "It came from that way" he said. More nervously, he added "But what was it?"

Ash's grin grew. "An old friend" he said.

The roar rang out again, this time much closer and louder. A small orange speck became visible high in the sky, rapidly growing larger. Max squinted through his glasses as it approached. "Hey… that almost looks like a-"

" _RUUUUUAAAAGGHHH!"_

The Pokemon in the sky rapidly changed from an even flight to a steep dive. It quickly became apparent what it was.

"It's a Charizard!" Max exclaimed.

Grinning, Ash ran forward. "HEY, CHARIZARD!" he called out to the descending pseudo-Dragon.

He knew it was coming, but couldn't do anything about it. A stream of fire rocketed downwards, enveloping his head within a blaze. It burned, but it was obviously meant to not harm him.

The fire stopped as there was a dull _thump_ on the ground before him. Coughing out a large cloud of dust from his lungs, he shook his head and looked up at the towering Fire and Flying type before him.

Standing impressively tall, with a sharp glint in both his eyes and on his claws, Charizard looked down on Ash. He may not have had lips to smile with, but Charizard was definitely as happy as Ash. "Rooouuugh!" Charizard rumbled affectionately.

"How's it been, Charizard?" Ash asked. "I haven't seen you since we fought at the Silver Conference."

"Rouuugh, Rah" Charizard growled.

"Sounds like things are going pretty well then?" Ash asked, receiving a curt nod from Charizard in response. "That's great."

Turning around, he gestured to the rest of the group. "You remember Brock, but Charizard, meet the other two friends I made in Hoenn. This is May, and Max. May, Max, meet Charizard."

May blinked as she looked at the large Pokemon. "This is _your_ Charizard, Ash?" she asked.

Max looked like he was about to explode from excitement. "Well _duh!_ "he exclaimed. "This is the Charizard that he used back in the Silver League, the one that went toe-to-toe with Harrison's Blaziken, and beat Gary's Blastoise in one of the most intense battles in Pokemon League history!"

Ash chuckled, remembering that Max almost knew all the battles he had been in better than he knew them himself. "Yeah, this is Charizard. We've been through a lot together, and he's been training in Charicific Valley ever since that battle with Harrison." He turned back to the orange dragon. "Speaking of that last battle, are you ready for an even bigger challenge this time?"

Charizard cocked his head to the side, but the fire in his eyes burned, unchanged.

"We aren't facing a normal opponent this time, Charizard" Ash said. "This time, we're going up against an Articuno."

The fire hardened as Charizard thought back to the last time he came face to face with an Articuno. Ash nodded. "I know last time was really scary, but I'm sure you're ready this time."

Charizard nodded again. Brock walked up. "Looks like Charizard is good and ready for a test of his power. Just like always." He turned to Ash. "Charizard's been training a lot. Flamethrower and Seismic Toss are great reliable attacks, but why don't you bring out your Pokedex and see if he's learned any new ones?"

Ash looked up at the large Pokemon. "Did ya' learn anything new, Charizard?" he asked.

Charizard nodded immediately, and Ash chuckled. "Of course, silly question" he said, reaching into his pocket. Bringing his Pokedex up, he aimed it at Charizard, and it began its scan.

" _Charizard, the Flame Pokemon, and the final evolved form of Charmander"_ the Pokedex spouted off.

Ash hit a small icon off to the side associated with moves. There was a brief pause, before the machine began listing off attacks. " _Moves known by specimen. Flamethrower, Seismic Toss, Slash, Dragon Rage-"_

"These are all moves Charizard knew last time…" Brock commented.

" _-Mega Punch, Steel Wing-"_

"Steel Wing is new" Ash realized.

" _-Overheat-"_

Ash's grin grew larger. "That's a pretty impressive one, Charizard" Ash said. Overheat was one of the strongest known Fire-Type attacks.

" _-and Dragon Tail"_ the Pokedex finished.

"Huh?" Ash asked, looking at Brock, who appeared equally confused. "Dragon Tail? I've never heard of that move."

"Me neither" Brock admitted. "I would assume from the name that it's like a Dragon-Type version of the Iron Tail attack, but not much else."

Stowing away the Pokedex, Ash shrugged. "We'll see about that later, but if we're going to use it, we might as well see what it does." He looked back at Charizard. "Hey Charizard, can you show me that Dragon Tail attack?" he asked.

"Groouugh" Charizard rumbled, turning away from the group, tail raising up behind it.

"What is-" Brock began, before Charizard began the attack.

Light, mystical green energy made its way up Charizard's long tail, the glow lighting the grass around them. Charizard flapped his wings with one, powerful beat, taking into the sky, before flipping forward and bringing his tail down in front of him.

The attack struck the ground, and the group struggled to keep on their feet as a tremor raced through the ground. The sheer force of the attack carved a hole through the terrain going on about teen feet, obliterating the soil. Seeming satisfied with his work, Charizard turned back to Ash.

Max placed his glasses more securely on his face. "Yup, that's a Dragon attack alright" he commented. "And a powerful one, too. Geez, it's a whole 'nother experience from watching your Charizard on screen to feeling him in person. It's amazing!"

May steadied herself as well. "I knew you had a lot of old partners, Ash, but I never knew you had one like Charizard. I wonder why you didn't choose him to help you at the Ever Grande Conference."

"Well, then, I really wanted to just battle with my partners I found in Hoenn. But here, in the Battle Frontier, I'm wanting to use everyone" Ash explained. He looked up at Charizard. "Well, Charizard, are you ready for a battle?"

Head leaning back, Charizard roared and unleashed a stream of flames into the sky, signaling his answer. "Awesome, then let's go" Ash pumped his fist in the air.

* * *

"A Charizard, eh? Taking the battle to Articuno while keeping an advantage. Smart move" Noland called from across the battlefield.

Now, they were within the heart of the Battle Factory. The roof opened wide, letting sunlight and fresh air stream in, and leaving the sky the limit. Ash and Noland both stood on raised platforms, with their respective partners down in the base of the arena.

Charizard may have looked intimidating outside, but Articuno put it to shame. It didn't need deadly claws or roaring flames. Its mere presence seemed to fill the air with pressure. The wingspan was more than twice Charizard's, even if the main body was slightly smaller, and particles of snow rained from her feathers.

"Thanks, Noland" Ash called back. " _But our advantage isn't going to be the deciding factor"_ he realized. It may have been Fire vs. Ice, an obvious matchup, but Articuno was still a Legendary Pokemon. Besides hidden tricks, it had pure, raw power behind it, which would more than make up for the type matchup. " _No, type advantage won't win us the match, but our fighting spirit will!"_

The referee took position. "This will be a one on one battle between Noland, the Factory Head, and Ash Ketchum, the challenger. The rules are simple. Both sides are allowed a single Pokemon with no substitutions, and the battle is decided when one or either Pokemon are unable to battle. In the event of a draw, the victory will be up to the jurisdiction of the Frontier Brain."

"I see, it's just like a Gym Leader" Brock realized.

"Huh?" May asked.

"But this doesn't sound much like Dad's job" Max pointed out.

"Maybe not, but here in Kanto, Gym Leaders aren't just supposed to test your strength" Brock said. "In fact, each Gym was supposed to test a different facet of a Trainer's experience. Even if you defeated them, if you failed to measure up, you could be denied a badge. Here, it seems that they work in a similar fashion. If Noland and Ash tie in their battle, Noland decides if Ash has proven himself enough to pass."

"Oh" Max realized. "I never knew Gyms worked differently here."

"Gyms are similar universally, but different regions have different customs" Brock pointed out, before turning back to the battlefield.

"You know, I never expected my first challenger to pick a fight with the strongest Pokemon not in the Factory roster, but I like that. It shows guts" Noland credited Ash. "I just hope you aren't being foolhardy."

"Nope, I'm just looking to _really_ earn my first symbol" Ash responded.

"So be it."

The referee raised his flags. "Very well. Battle, BEGIN!"

Ash took initiative. "Charizard, ascend!"

"You too, Articuno!"

In a flash, both Pokemon had taken to the air, circling the arena, keeping a cautious eye on the other as they soared.

Ash thought back to the last Articuno he had seen, at the Orange Islands. " _They look big, but all they can really do is ranged."_ The Articuno of Ice Island had felt a lot more powerful than this one, and most of what it ended up doing was firing Ice Beams and Blizzards. " _Maybe if we can get close, it'll be tougher for Articuno to fight back."_

"Charizard, get in close and use Slash!" Ash called out.

Not wasting a moment, Charizard dived in, claws elongated and outstretched, ready to swipe at the large blue bird.

"Hold, Articuno" Noland commanded as Charizard approached. Articuno stopped in the air, tracking Charizard.

"Go for it!" Ash shouted, as Charizard dived in for the attack.

"Steel Wing, Articuno!" Noland shot back.

Articuno's wings glowed with metallic energy, and crossed one wing over her chest. The Slash attack bounced off of the Steel move, and Charizard was left wide open for the heavy swing from the remaining wing.

Charizard was sent for a loop, recovering quickly and taking back to the air before he hit the ground.

Ash frowned. "Steel Wing could mean trouble if we're trying to get close" he realized. "I guess we'll try the ranged game. Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Articuno, counter with Water Pulse!"

Just as charizard unleashed a fearsome gout of flames, Articuno unleashed a powerful ball, packed with aquatic energy. There was a brief struggle, before the Water attack broke through, charging towards Charizard, who dived steeply to avoid being struck with the attack.

"You had some good power behind that attack, but it's going to take more than that to get to Articuno" Noland pointed out.

"Yeah, no kidding" Ash realized. " _Mega Punch, Slash, Wing Attack, and Steel Wing will all be easily blocked by Articuno's Steel Wing. Dragon Tail probably would too, but I don't know much about it. Flamethrower is beaten by the Water Pulse, Overheat might work, but that would leave Charizard open afterwards. Dragon Rage and Seismic Toss might be our only options, but I doubt we could get Articuno in a Seismic Toss easily."_ He frowned in thought. " _This won't be an easy battle, but we can do this."_ The frown was broken, and replaced with a small grin. " _And battle this tough, it_ really _gets me fired up!"_

He pumped his fist down. "Alright Charizard, let's go at this, harder than before!" he called out. "Use Slash again!"

"Articuno, you know what to do!" Noland said.

Charizard flew in with his Slash prepared, and sure enough, the gray glow of the Steel Wing began to appear again.

"Go for it, Charizard!"

This time, the Slash was met with the same result as last time, as Articuno blocked it with ease. The other wing was coming in to strike. "Now, use your own Steel Wing to block!" Ash commanded.

Switching from the Slash, Charizard quickly charged his own wings, and met Articuno's attack with a resounding clanging sound. The two attacks clashed, and Ash grinned. She was wide open. "Flamethrower!"

Too late, Noland realized what Ash was going for. While Articuno's guard had dropped from her attack, Ash took advantage of that, and Steel Wing didn't help against the stream of fire. Articuno was pushed back fiercely, eyes closed as the blaze seared her feathers.

Ash wasn't about to let up, he had to take advantage of Articuno's opening. "Before she recovers, use Dragon Tail!"

Noland frowned, not remembering having ever heard the move. Charizard flew forward, slightly above Articuno, before flipping forward, tail glowing with green energy. Still reeling from the Flamethrower, Articuno couldn't do much as the draconic attack slammed down, clean on her head, sending her plummeting towards the ground.

" _Wow, that's a really great attack, Charizard"_ Ash grinned. They had finally managed to get a clean blow on the Legendary Pokemon. Yes, this battle was getting him _really_ excited!

* * *

"Hm?" Lucario slowed to a stop, closing his eyes. His sudden change in pace caught the attention of Latias, who slowed down to him.

"What's happening, Lucario?" Latias asked.

"It's Ash's Aura" Lucario replied. He closed his eyes tighter as he attempted to zero in on the beacon that was his Aura. Through all the time he spent with Aaron, he learned what every little fluctuation in Aaron's Aura meant. And as fate had decreed, Ash's Aura was all but identical to Aaron's. "It's just spiked, sharply."

Latias' face grew confused. "What does that mean?" she wondered.

Lucario's eyes snapped open. "Elevated Aura levels mean one of two things. One could be that the Aura is being actively harnessed. However, I don't believe Ash knows enough about his Aura to be using it. The other possibility is an intense battle. Aura is an emotional force, and when emotions run high, so does the Aura." He frowned. "I don't feel any other Aura's on Ash's level in the surrounding area, though. I am unaware of the cause, but we must hurry."

Lucario's own Aura levels grew, as he put on the energy to begin leaping down from the mountain peak.

* * *

Ash swung his hand to the right. "Charizard, roll to the side!"

Tucking in his wings, Charizard narrowed himself, and corkscrewed to the side, barely dodging the frosty ribbons of the Ice Beam Articuno had fired. Keeping the momentum from the spin going, Charizard launched a Flamethrower, the spinning force causing the stream of fire to turn into an attack Charizard hadn't used in ages. Yet the unorthodox Fire Spin managed to do its job, ensnaring Articuno in the heated attack.

A large white cloud began to leak from the attack, causing Charizard to stop in confusion. Ash looked around the field, also confused. "What's that?" he wondered.

They didn't have time to react. A powerful sphere of deep blue energy came rocketing out of the cloud, slamming into Charizard with a splash. Growling, Charizard was sent careening towards the ground from the supereffective attack.

"Charizard!" Ash cried out as his longtime friend began to stir from the ground. Charizard got to his feet unsteadily, stumbling slightly as he stood. Growling, Charizard shook his head. It was a behavior Ash felt like he recognized. " _He's confused…"_ he realized.

"Charizard, come on, snap out of it!" Ash called, to no avail.

The cloud of Mist that hung in the air cleared as Articuno came back into view. As Charizard stood on the ground, Articuno opened her mouth, and unleashed another burst of icy energy.

"MOVE, CHARIZARD!" Ash said as forcefully as he could.

Blinking, Charizard's eyes began to clear, but not quickly enough. The Ice Beam struck Charizard from above, and immediately encased him in a block of ice. The frozen cage locked Charizard's movements completely.

"Oh no" Ash groaned. "Come on, Charizard, I know you can break free!" he called out.

"You;ve done great so far, Ash, but choosing to challenge Articuno was too much for any trainer. Especially in a one on one match" Noland said.

Gritting his teeth, Ash shook. "No way, we aren't down for the count yet" he protested. "Charizard, we've been in tons of battles, and I know you aren't done yet. Come on, Charizard! BREAK! FREE!"

"I admire your spirit" Noland conceded. "Articuno, let's wrap this up. Use Water Pulse!"

As the blue sphere began to form for what was meant to be the final blow, Ash was the only one that saw what was happening below. The attack was charging dangerously fast, but at the same time, a faint red glow was taking place within the ice cube. It rapidly began shrinking around Charizard, and a wingtip emerged.

The sphere of water came shooting down at Charizard just as he shattered the frost around him. Sharps of ice peppered the arena, and on instinct, Charizard spun and cut through the Water Pulse with a Steel Wing. He effortlessly destroyed it, quite literally glowing with power. A red energy surrounded him, and the flame on his tail was roaring even fiercer than ever.

Ash grinned, and he took advantage of the element of surprise they got on their opponents. "Alright Charizard, let's go. Overheat!"

Immediately, the temperature in arena skyrocketed. Charizard unleashed a deafening roar, the ground beneath his feet almost turning to lava with the sheer intensity of it. Opening his jaws wide, a stream of flames, far more powerful than any other attack he used in the match. A white-hot stream of power, torching the air itself, slammed into Articuno with the force that sent the Ice titan crashing into the wall ferociously.

Charizard fell back to his knees, panting heavily from the energy he had put into the attack. The flame on his tail was flickering slightly lower than it had before, but was still burning stronger than usual. Articuno fell from the hole its body had created on the wall, weak wingbeats slowing her descent, before she landed before Charizard. Many of her light blue feathers were singed black, tipped orange, glowing with embers. A look both in her eyes and at her posture showed that she was in pain from the last attack. It seemed like both Pokemon were on their last legs, but how Ash had managed to deliver such a decisive blow, even with Overheat, was beyond him.

"Charizard, how did you do that?" Ash asked.

"It was Blaze" Brock called out.

Noland nodded. "Articuno pushed Charizard to the brink, but that only brought out his true power. I'll admit, I didn't expect you to be able to break out of the ice so fast, even if you were a Fire-type. And even with Blaze's power, that Overheat was uncommonly strong." He smirked. "But it looks like it's all come down to this. Overheat lowers a Pokemon's power harshly with each use, and Blaze won't last forever. Let's go, Ash."

Ash clenched his fist, and nodded. "Right." He looked to Charizard. "You ready to wrap this up, buddy?

Charizard glanced up at his trainer. "Grooouuugh" he nodded.

"Alright, Charizard" Ash said. "Use Mega Punch!"

Charizard's claws formed tight fists, glowing with a soft white light. Jumping forward, Charizard made to sink a heavy blow into Articuno's torso, which was easily parried with a Steel Wing. As another came flying in, Charizard's own wings powered up, and he met Articuno's attack to a standstill.

"Keep going, Charizard!" Ash egged him on.

Charizard jumped back, spinning and slamming one wing into Articuno's torso, sending the Legendary Bird reeling. He couldn't get back fast enough to avoid one of Articuno's own attacks striking him in the shoulder. Charizard was sent sprawling, barely catching himself on all fours, before dashing forward again, dashing past Articuno, his wing hitting her on the fly by.

Articuno stumbled, the energy from her wings fading away, leaving them normal.

Ash saw his chance. "Alright Charizard, DRAGON TAIL!"

The energy disappeared from Charizard's wings as well. The metallic sheen faded to a white energy, streaming down Charizard's back, down through the tail, which took up a green glow. Whipping around on the spot, the Dragon-type attack swished through the air, before connecting brutally with Articuno.

The attack caused Articuno to skid across the ground, flinching heavily as her talons dug crevices in the ground. Slowly coming to a stop, Articuno shocked Ash and Charizard when it didn't fall.

Charizard growled, and fell to one knee, almost every ounce of energy siphoned off of him in that last attack. Letting out a heavy breath, Charizard levelled a glare at Articuno. Articuno's dark red eyes returned fire, and Articuno let out a low caw.

Charizard flinched again, the other knee buckling, holding himself up with his arms. Simultaneously, Articuno's legs gave out, and the bird collapsed.

The look on everyone's face was that of shock. Charizard remained on the ground, but still up, and everyone, from the spectators, to the battlers, looked down at the scene in shock.

The referee was the first to recover from the stun. He cleared his throat, and raised the flag aimed at Ash's side. "Articuno is unable to battle, Charizard wins! The victory goes to Ash Ketchum, the challenger!"

Ash blinked, then started as his platform began to descend into the arena. Before it hit the bottom, he jumped off and ran into the field, and began checking on Charizard. He threw his arms around Charizard's neck and hugged him tight. "Charizard, you did amazing out there" he cheered. "I'm so proud of you."

Charizard closed his eyes, a let out a low growl, an affectionate one, before he began to rest. He may have won, but only by a hair, and the battle had taken its toll on him.

Ash took a step back from Charizard. Since Charizard could came to him without his Pokeball, Ash couldn't recall him for a rest. He would let him rest here for a while, before finding a place where Charizard could heal up for the flight back to Johto.

He heard footsteps before him, and looked up to see Noland approaching him. Extending a hand, he helped Ash to his feet. He flashed him a grin. "Well, I'll be darned. Against all odds, you and your partner actually managed to take down Articuno. You really surprised me."

Ash grinned and looked down at Charizard. "Well, this isn't the first Legendary Pokemon he's fought" Ash commented. Sure enough, Charizard had tried to fight Mewtwo, and the Legendary Birds of the Orange Islands, as well as had a match with the Entei created by the Unown. However, this was the first time that he had managed to take down a Legendary Pokemon.

Noland laughed. "Well, after that battle, I'd be a fool to doubt that" he admitted, before reaching into his pocket. "I suspect that your Charizard would have annihilated any other Pokemon my Battle Factory could offer, no matter the type matchup. Hell, that Overheat might have put any of them that didn't outright resist it in the hospital for a few weeks. Point is, I say that you more than earned this."

Withdrawing his hand from his jacket, Noland had a small object resting in his hand. A small round piece of gold, decorated with 3 diamond shaped indents.

"The Knowledge Symbol, proof of your victory at the Battle Factory" Noland said. "And the very first one I've given out" he added as an afterthought.

He could feel his cheeks straining from the effort of not trying to bust out into a giant grin. "Thank you, Noland" he said, as he reached for the small item.

He felt the small piece of metal in his hands, and let his smile grow. "Alright! I got, a Knowledge Symbol!" he cheered as he held it high in the air.

He let the moment pass, but his smile remained. Bringing the Symbol down, he looked at it. It really was a simple design, but that wasn't what mattered. What mattered, is that this was his first. His first Frontier Symbol, and his first step to conquering the Battle Frontier. Sitting in the palm on his hand.

Noland laughed. "Do you do that with every Badge you get too?" he asked.

"Actually, yes" Ash chuckled.

"That's good, it's nice to have some enthusiasm for your dream" Noland said. "So, where are you going next, Ash? You beat me with Articuno, so now you've got to beat the others unless you want to make me look bad."

Ash cocked his head to the side. "Well, actually, I don't know. We've focusing on reaching the Battle Factory for the last few weeks, I didn't consider where whe'd be going after."

"I see" Noland said. "Well, I'll tell you, the nearest Battle Facility from here, would probably be out around Saffron City. Out there, you're find the Battle Arena. From there on, it's your choice. Saffron is at the center of Kanto."

"So Saffron is where the next facility is, huh?" Ash said. "Awesome, thanks Noland."

Noland shook his head. "Don't mention it. I should thank _you_. Things have been pretty boring out here, until you showed up. I hope more challengers follow soon."

"I hope so too, Noland" Ash said.

Noland flashed another grin. "Thanks. Now, I'm sure you're excited for your next challenge, but I might have a proposition for you."

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"Well, I know that the Battle Factory is out in the middle of scenic nowhere, and the nearest city, Cerulean, is around four days' walk away" Noland said. "I say, you and your friends should crash here for the night, rest up, get some supplies, and then head on your way in the morning. After all, it's a ways past noon already. You probably won't even make it back to the Pewter Mountains by nightfall."

"You want us to stay here for the night?" Ash asked.

"It's up to you, I'm just extending my hospitality. After all, I can't have a few kids fainting of exhaustion in the wilderness on my, can I?" he laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I can tell you're a pretty tough lot, but you're still young. Think of it as a thank you for that battle, if nothing else."

Ash let Noland's offer sink in, and he nodded. "I think that sounds great, Noland. I'm sure the others would like it to." He looked up, and sure enough, May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu were all up there. However, the sheer size of the arena placed their conversation out of hearing range.

"No problem" Noland said nonchalantly. "Hop back on your platform, I'll take you back up."

Ash almost made for the platform, but something stopped him. Looking down at Charizard, he realized that he didn't want to leave his friend lying here until he recovered.

Chancing a glance up at his friends again, he made a decision. "Give me just a second, Noland" he said, slinging his bag off his shoulders and reaching deep inside of it.

Noland raised his eyebrows, figuring that the kid was going for a Potion for his Charizard. We was confused when he pulled out an ornate glove instead. "What's that?" he asked.

Ash looked down at it, frowning a little. "Let's just say, a souvenir from a recent adventure" he said, slipping the glove on his left hand. " _I hope they can't see me from down here"_ he thought. He knew his friends would disapprove of him doing something so risky as Aura training, but he also knew, this was what he wanted.

" _Charizard isn't dying, he only needs enough energy to get him moving"_ Ash thought, kneeling down besides his partner. He placed the gloved hand firmly on his back, while he jostled Charizard's shoulder lightly with his other hand. "Come on, Charizard" he said. The gem on the glove began to glow a faint blue, swirling energy beneath the surface.

Slowly, Ash began to transfer a small fraction of his Aura into Charizard. Not much. He felt a small tugging from his core, uncomfortable, but not painful. Charizard's eye began to crack open, while Noland's eyes shot wide open.

"How did you do that?" he asked in a hushed, awed voice.

"It's a bit of a secret" Ash said. "Er, do you think you could not mention this to the others? They don't exactly know yet."

Still shocked, Noland nodded his head. " _First this kid proves to be able to defeat a Legendary Pokemon one on one, but now he has some sort of magical power too? Just who is he?"_

Charizard pushed himself up, looking better, but still quite battered from the battle with Articuno. He looked at Ash, and gave another low growl, one of satisfaction, before raising a fist towards Ash.

Grinning, Ash raised his own fist, and he and Charizard lightly bumped them together. "Come on, Charizard, let's get you some rest."

Charizard's eyes were all you needed to see to know that he was okay with the idea. He and Charizard made their way back to the platform, Noland soon following them.

Noland took a look over at the referee, who had yet to leave. "Hey, let's keep the roof hatch open until Articuno recovers" he told him. "That way she can fly off when she's awake."

"Sure thing, sir" the referee nodded.

Seeming satisfied, Noland hit a button on the wall, and the platform began elevating itself back into position. Seeing that they were coming back up, Brock and the others began to move towards where they would stop.

As quick as he could, Ash slipped the glove off and stuffed it back within the main pouch of this pack. Safely hidden again, he breathed easy, and prepared himself to greet his friends.

* * *

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea" Brock said. "I mean, we do need a break, after all."

"I like the sound of it too" May agreed. "Although, I do want to start getting back to my Contests as soon as possible…"

"I want to get to my next Frontier Brain too, May, but this sounds like a good idea to me" Ash pointed out.

"Fair enough" May nodded. "Maybe I'll be able to get some of my own practice in tonight, anyways."

"That's the spirit" Ash said confidently.

Max looked up at Noland. "I'm up for a break too, but where are we going to stay? This is a battling facility, after all."

"One that I have to live in, that's out in the middle of the wilderness" Noland pointed out. "I've got plenty of living quarters to spare, among everything else you'll need."

"Oh, ok" Max said, satisfied.

"So, as long as we're all in agreement, the rooms are down that hall..." Noland said, gesturing towards the hall he meant. "But for now, I have to take care of the Factory's Pokemon. It's not all easy out here."

"Do you want us to help, Noland?" Ash asked.

"Nah, I've got this" Noland rejected. "Thanks for the offer, though. I'll be back in about an hou-"

A faint sound rolled through the building. The windows shook slightly, as did the floors. Charizard emitted a low growl, while Pikachu's cheeks sparked.

Noland didn't notice either reaction, he was focused on the sound. "It came from the direction of the Pokemon's quarters!" he shouted, taking off down the hall.

"Huh?!" Brock gasped. "Wait, Noland!"

Noland was either too far away or too focused to hear Brock. "Not good" Brock said. "I didn't see any Pokeballs on Noland. My guess is, all his Pokemon are the Factory's Pokemon. If there's a problem with them, he won't be able to do anything."

"Then we need to help" Ash said.

"Ash's right" May said, reaching to her belt.

Brock nodded his head, and tossed his own capsule into the air.

"Grovyle/Combusken/Mudkip!" they called out their Pokemon.

"Come on, we need to go help" Ash told Grovyle.

Confused as it was, Grovyle immediately became serious at the tone of Ash's voice. "Grooooove" Grovyle nodded.

Charizard growled in annoyance. Because of his battle, he was still in no condition to help. Ash turned towards the large orange lizard, but Charizard jerked his head, signaling Ash to go.

"Right" Ash said, feeling bad for Charizard. "Grovyle, Pikachu, let's go."

"Me and you too, Combusken" May said.

"We need to try our best too" Brock told Mudkip.

"I wish I was ten already!" Max complained.

They took off after Noland, trying to remember which direction the sound had come from. Every second they failed to find him was a second that their hearts beat a little faster.

Ash in particular. He couldn't explain it, but he felt severely distressed. Or, was he sensing distress. It felt off, but whatever the case, he knew that he had no time to dwell on it.

"This is it!" Brock said, drawing the attention of the group. A doorway to their right was wide open. Loose debris were scattered across the floor, and scuffles could be heard on the other side.

Running through, Ash first noticed Noland. He was lying on the ground, hand draped across his chest in a pained fashion. His breathing was ragged, and he cracked his eyes open when he heard the three approach. "Stop… them… please…" he grunted.

Ash looked around, quickly finding an opening leading outside. Brock looked over at Ash. "Hole in the wall? Sounds like Team Rocket" he offered.

Ash glanced back at Noland. "Those three wouldn't inflict physical pain to someone like this." He didn't waste anymore time talking, and he ran out the hole.

The scene he was met with was shocking. Scores of Pokemon, at least thirty different ones, laid trapped underneath weighted nets. A large helicopter stood across the field, with several more Pokemon being loaded up inside by two men dressed in black uniforms.

"Grovyle, use Leaf Blade to cut those nets" Ash commanded. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail to help!"

"Mudkip, Tackle to do the same" Brock said.

"Combusken, Sky Uppercut to free the Pokemon" May said.

Not hesitating, the four Pokemon dashed towards the captured creatures. Grovyle's speed let it reach first. Swinging the elongated blade, he made to slice the net to ribbons…

"Sludge Bomb!"

Grovyle didn't have time to dodge as a large amount of toxic sludge slammed directly into him, sending him flying backwards, Combusken catching him.

Ash ran up. "Grovyle, are you okay?" he asked. Growling, he looked up. Emerging from around the back of a large Rhydon, a third man in a black suit made himself known, as well as a Golbat flying over him.

The large red 'R' on his chest made it all too obvious who it was. "It _was_ Team Rocket" Brock said.

Ash started. "Wait, but we never see anyone besides Jessie, James, and Meowth. Who are these guys?"

"Our names aren't important" the Rocket before them said forcefully. "What _is_ important, is that you hand of your Pokemon before someone gets hurt."

Brock frowned. "Ash, we have to be careful with these guys. Team Rocket has been around for a long time, I saw a bit of them in their prime, before you met me. These guys aren't anything like the three we know. They'll hurt us if they think they'll get what they want out of it."

"They'll try" Ash said confidently. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leapt into action, sending a powerful bolt of electricity up at the Golbat. Golbat moved back, but before the attack connected, a Shadow Ball came flying out of nowhere, canceling out the Thunderbolt.

"What the-" Ash wondered, then he realized. The other two had made their way over. One of them held a Houndoom by their side, while the third commanded a Crobat, Golbat's evolved form.

"Hey, it looks like we missed a few" the Crobat trainer said.

"Yeah, we shouldn't just let them go to waste, now should we?" the Houndoom trainer said.

"They're talking about stealing our Pokemon too" Brock said. "Guys, be ready."

"Be ready for what? Do you _honestly_ think that you can stand up to Team Rocket?" the grunt that attacked them first asked.

"Yes we do!" Ash said. "Pikachu, Grovyle, let's go! Bullet Seed and Thunderbolt!"

"Crobat Air Slash/Houndoom, Dark Pulse!"

Thunderbolt clashed briefly with the Dark Pulse, before the attacks exploded. However, Air Slash cut right through the flying seeds, Grovyle narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Combusken, go help with Sky Uppercut!"

"Golbat, Poison Fang!"

"Mudkip, keep Golbat off with Water Gun!"

Combusken rushed towards Houndoom, fist clenched with blue energy. Golbat dived down at Combusken, fangs shining with toxic energy, but was forced away as a wall of water pushed him to the side.

Combusken unleashed Sky Uppercut, hitting Houndoom right beneath the jaw, sending Houndoom into the air, coming to a stop several feet away.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Pikachu appeared in front of Crobat, shocking the large purple bat, before he was slammed to the ground. Still in the air, Pikachu got his next command. "Follow it up with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's tail flashed a steely grey, before spinning forward, bringing the attack down on Crobat with a resounding crash. However, just as Pikachu struck, a wall of flames blasted Pikachu clean off, sending him sprawling, scorched by the attack.

Grovyle leapt forward and caught Pikachu as he fell, setting him down gently before darting forward.

"Pound attack!"

Grovyle swung his head, the heavy leaf on top lashing forward and smacking Houndoom away. At that moment, Combusken ran up to Houndoom again, this time sending the Pokemon flying with a powerful Mega Kick. However, at that moment, Golbat came diving out of the sky, and took advantage of Combusken's distraction to sink a Poison Fang into her shoulder.

"Mudkip, Tackle Golbat away!"

"Grovyle, use Leaf Blade on Golbat as well!"

The two Hoenn starters darted forward, Grovyle reaching Combusken in a flash, and striking Golbat with Leaf Blade. Golbat barely flinched, but lessened its hold on Combusken, enough for the Tackle from Mudkip to send it flying away.

The three Rockets gritted their teeth in frustration. Golbat was still in the air, Houndoom was picking itself back up, but Crobat was having trouble. "That's it, you brats" the grunt in the middle growled. "We've been taking it easy on you, since you're kids, but we can't be nice if you're going to meddle like this."

"If you think that we're just going to let you take all these Pokemon without a fight, then you're wrong" May spoke up.

"Then this is going to be a short fight" the same one said. "Houndoom, up!"

Houndoom shook his head, and stood up, baring his teeth at the group.

Combusken and Pikachu both seemed to be out. Pikachu's eyes were still clenched shut in pain from the burns of Houndoom's Flamethrower, which Combusken was very weak from the poison. Grovyle and Mudkip stood up against Houndoom and Golbat.

"Combusken, return" May said, recalling her Pokemon. She looked over. "I don't think Munchlax or Squirtle will be able to help without getting hurt, guys. I'm sorry."

"No problem, May" Ash said, pulling out another Pokeball. "Come on out-"

Ash was about to open his ball, but was forced to stop and dive to the side as a Flamethrower streaked right for him. "Ash!" May exclaimed.

Ash's heart was pounding fast. That Houndoom wasn't attacking Grovyle or Mudkip. It was attacking _him!_ He quickly rolled again as another attack was sent his way, but the flames grazed the back of his leg.

Though just the back of his leg was singed, his entire lower body immediately felt like it was burning in a raging fire. He grunted from the intense pain, breathing hard.

"Ash, no!" Brock said. "You, you guys are miserable excuses of human beings!"

"Call us what you will, we're just doing a job" the one behind Houndoom said.

The grunt to his left laughed. "Yeah, and getting paid well for it. You know, even if we didn't find her here, at least we found enough Pokemon for a nice fat bonus. And these trainers have some powerful ones themselves."

"We'll keep tracking the dragon later, but for now, let's wrap up this haul" the last grunt, behind Golbat, said.

"I agree" the first one said. "Houndoom, take these other two down." He cracked an evil smirk. "Use Flamethrower, and have your Golbat use Air Slash. Let's see about taking them down in one shot."

May and Brock's eyes both widened. "Mudkip, Water Gun!" Brock said.

Mudkip ran in front of his trainer, unleashing a spray of water. With Ash out of the Picture, Grovyle did his best. He ran up beside Mudkip, sending out a storm of hard-shelled seeds that fused into the center of the stream. As the combo attack darted off towards the stream of fire, Golbat flew into the air above Houndoom, wings glowing a light blue.

The two moves collided, kicking up a cloud of steam, just as sawblades of wind energy came flying down from Golbat, slicing into the mist.

Two streams of fire darted out of the smoke, undeterred by the attack that Mudkip and Grovyle had fired. Brock and May made to move as fast as they could, but the flames were moving at too high a speed. Both of them had their shoulders barely grazed by the divided Fire-type attack. May's shirt took the worst of it, but Brock's shoulder was turned into a bright, inflamed red by the heated attack. He immediately collapsed to the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain, while May looked around in concern. Her shoulder stung, but she didn't get hit for real by the attack. Mudkip and Grovyle were the only ones left standing besides her, and even with a type advantage, Mudkip appeared helpless to the Houndoom.

"Hey, ya' missed one of them" the Crobat trainer pointed out.

"I don't need you telling me that" the Houndoom one snapped. "Listen, sweetie, you're on the losing end of the stick anyways. Tell you what. Walk away, and I won't have to burn you alive."

May stumbled slightly at the threat, eyes widening. Team Magma and Aqua may have been out to basically take over the world, but they never went out of their way to attack civilians. She felt fear pounding in her chest, but she shook her head. "If you think that I'm just going to let you take all these Pokemon without a fight, you're wrong!" she said defiantly, emulating what Ash had said. She reached to her belt, and took a deep breath. "Munchlax, please help!"

The capsule burst open in a flash of white light, as the small blue Pokemon appeared in the grassy field. "Muuuuunch" Munchlax yawned, scratching his belly and looking around.

"Munchlax, use Metronome!" she told her Pokemon.

"Munch?" Munchlax turned his head to the side, before looking at where May was pointing. "Munch Munch!" Munchlax realized he had come out into a battle. Raising his hands into the air, he began waggling his fingers back and forth.

The grunts busted out laughing. "You think a little chubster like that will do anything to us? Please, girl, you just threw away your last chance. Houndoom, Flamethrower!"

" _Please, Munchlax"_ May prayed. As the flames began to leave Houndoom's mouth, May pointed forward. "Go!"

"Munch!" Munchlax pointed straight up, fingers glowing white, before the white light faded, and Munchlax stared down the oncoming attack.

And nothing happened. Munchlax didn't move, but nothing happened to the Flamethrower either. May could feel the heat growing more intense by the second, and she raised her hands to cover her face…

The flames swerved, barely not hitting Munchlax, who had yet to move, and shot at the ground, ploughing a massive trench through the turf. She watched with shocked eyes, not have been able to believe it if she didn't see it happen right in front of her.

"What the Distortion was that about? You clean missed them" the trainer asked his Houndoom.

" _Not by his choice"_ May realized. One detail came to her. " _The flames were glowing blue, which means Munchlax must have gotten Psyc-"_

"Never mind that, attack again!" he commanded.

Houndoom snarled, opening his mouth to shoot more flames, when out of nowhere, Golbat crashed into Houndoom, sending it sprawling.

"What? Golbat, what was that?!"

" _Two Psychics?"_ May wondered. " _But Munchlax only used Metronome once. How could he have done it twice?"_

"Shaaoo!"

A piercing cry rang through the air, immediately catching the attention of the three Rockets. "Since when does that thing fight back?" one of them asked worriedly.

A swift breeze ran across the field, as May noticed something emerge from the trees. A speeding bullet, colored red and white, came charging towards the Rockets. As the Houndoom and Golbat began to rise again, the Pokemon's eyes glowed blue, and sent the Golbat flying into a tree.

May couldn't help but stare as the Pokemon came to a stop, floating before her. The Pokemon was mainly red, from the wings and lower half, with a long white neck and head. A red patch in a triangle shape was on her face as well.

May had heard of the Pokemon, but never thought that she would have actually seen it. "Latias…" she whispered. Travelling with Ash, she was no stranger to seeing Legendary Pokemon, but this was the first one of this species she had ever seen.

"Did you already forget? That thing can only Psychic. Get Houndoom, let's catch that thing before she runs again! I'm sick of tracking her all over Johto and Kanto."

"Me too! Houndoom, Dark Pu-"

Before Houndoom could be ordered to attack, a blue sphere of energy came flying out of the woods, crashing into it and sending it flying backwards into his owner. At this moment, May knew for sure, that she was dreaming.

Jumping out of the canopy that the Latias had emerged from, a humanoid Pokemon, blue and black fur covering its body, ran to the Team Rocket thugs. A large clubbed staff forming in his hands, he jumped over their heads, spinning the attack and knocking them all out cold, just like their Pokemon.

Lucario landed nimbly, letting the attack fade from his hands. Looking up, he caught sight of May. "Miss May!" he called, dashing over.

"Lu-Lucario?!" May exclaimed. "How are you… I mean I thought you were-"

"Dead? I was, in a manner of speaking" Lucario said. "Where is-" he looked over. "Ash? What happened to him."

Blinking May tried to snap out of her stupor. "Those guys, they had their Houndoom attack us with a Flamethrower attack."

Lucario cringed. "He needs immediate help. Houndoom burns are dangerous. They burn long, and ferociously, in some cases, eating away at the body over time." He looked over. "Where can we go to seek treatment?"

"Inside the Battle Factory, there should be somewhere, but we need to ask Noland" May said.

Lucario looked to Latias. "Take them with Psychic" he said. "May, lead the way."

May nodded. "Munchlax, return!" she called, bringing Munchlax back into his ball. Turning around, she made for the hole in the wall of the building, footsteps and swishing wind telling her Lucario and Latias weren't far behind.

" _But how is he here?"_

* * *

 **Was it everything you'd hoped it would be? I hope so.**

 **A little info, just in case anything confused you guys in this chapter:**

 **Yes, Charizard knew Dragon Tail. The way I see it, just because Unova hadn't been introduced at this point in the anime, doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the world. Charizard knew Dragon Tail when he first arrived in Unova, which meant he didn't even need to visit to learn it. I think it's feasible, that if he actually looked up which moves he had rather than fly on Charizard and see just Overheat, like he did, he could have had it (had the move been introduced by this point).**

 **As for Team Rocket's involvement, yes. This is the same three that were hunting Latias in chapter 2. They were tracking Latias, and overshot it a bit, coming across the Battle Factory. Even on a mission, they wouldn't pass up the chance to snag some powerful Pokemon for the good of the organization.**

 **So, a good portion of this chapter was my own take on the Charizard vs. Articuno fight in the anime. I'm trying to get a hang of normal Pokemon battles (since in my other WIP, the battles are anything but normal). Hope you enjoyed that as well.**

 **Anyways, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry it took so long, but I warned you at the beginning, this is a backburner project. If I ever get to finishing one of my other stories, I'll be able to give this one some more attention but in the meantime, we have fluctuating update times.**

 **That's all I have to say for now. I hope you all enjoyed, and please, drop a review on the way out, and until then, I'll cya guys later.**


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